About 4,000 petroleum dealers in Andhra Pradesh did not buy fresh stocks on Thursday beginning the two-day nationwide stoppage of procurement from the public sector oil refineries in protest against the Central government’s reluctance to increase their commission. Petroleum dealers have resolved to not make purchases on November 3 and 4 as a prelude to the proposed full-fledged strike on November 15. They will, however, sell fuel to consumers during those two days. A city-based representative of the Consortium of Indian Petrol Dealers (CIPD) told The Hindu that the dealers had their margins coming down due to various factors.
The demand to increase the dealers’ commission from 3 to 5 per cent, which would partially offset the loss on account of dwindling trade margins, was kept on the back burner for a long time. Around 54,000 petrol bunks across the country are participating in the ongoing protest which may be called off in the event of the Central government conceding the dealers’ demand or making a promise to that effect at a high-level meeting with them on November 4.
Consumers are not going to be impacted by the protest till at least Friday as each petrol bunk will have stock enough for three days as per the government norms.
The public have to brace for an intensified agitation by the petroleum dealers as the CIPD has decided to sell petrol from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. only from November 5 if the issue is not sorted out.
A high-powered committee constituted by the Central government had recommended a period review of the rate of commission but it has not been done despite several reminders, the dealers alleged.
