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Ludhiana: Petrol pump dealers back farmers
As a result, long queues were observed on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning outside fuel stations, as residents engaged in panic buying
: Petrol pump dealers across the city have come out in support of the farmers with a majority of oil stations witnessing dry spells as petrol dealers abstained from purchasing fuel from oil companies.
As a result, long queues were observed on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning outside fuel stations, as residents engaged in panic buying.
Ashok Sachdeva, chairman of the petroleum pump dealers association, Punjab, said that 30-40 petrol pumps in the city ran dry due to panic buying by the residents.
“Around 90 percent of the petrol pumps participated in a no-purchase day on February 15, demonstrating their solidarity with the farmers’ protest. Additionally, no dealer will procure fuel from oil companies to voice their support,” he said.
Sachdeva emphasised that while they stand in solidarity with farmers, fuel is an essential commodity, and prolonged strikes could disrupt essential services like ambulance operations.
Meanehile, he said that all petrol pumps across Punjab will be shut on February 22 demanding commission hike for petrol pump owners.
Sachdeva said that despite raising the selling price of items, it has remained silent on the matter of increasing the dealers’ commission.
He said that since 2017, the commission on petrol has remained at around ₹3 per litre, while diesel stands at ₹2 per litre. He underscored the significant impact of inflation, which has skyrocketed during this period.
