Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan took a serious view of the flash strike by petrol bunk owners since Sunday night forcing the latter to call off their stir.
Sources in Raj Bhavan said the Governor was informed about the inconvenience caused to a large number of motorists across the State, after the petrol bunk owners downed their shutters protesting what they called raids by the Legal Metrology Department.
It is understood that the Governor spoke to Chief Secretary P.K. Mohanty and instructed him to look into the issue and ensure that the strike was called off immediately without causing further agony to motorists. Accordingly, the Chief Secretary directed the legal metrology and civil supplies officials to hold talks with the petroleum dealers’ association and find a way out.
A crackdown by the Legal Metrology Department on usage of dispensing machines with remote control had angered the petrol pump owners. The department had maintained that by using remotes, the operator of the dispensing pump could change the price, density and speed of the delivery of the fuel.
Meanwhile, reports from the districts suggested that the strike had a partial impact in Chittoor and Medak districts. A report from Chittoor said two dozen petrol and CNG filling stations in the district headquarters remained open.
In Medak, all the filling stations remained closed. Many heavy vehicles plying on the national highway were forced to stop till evening due to non-availability of fuel. In Srikakulam, hundreds of motor vehicle owners were put to hardship with the flash strike by the petrol bunks. They queued up to fill up the tanks just before the beginning of the strike in the district headquarter and other places.
