Punjab dealers call for petrol pump bandh on July 29

Association claims oil marketing companies and the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas have failed to address their justified demand for price correction and increase in margins

Mohali Three days after a 76-year-old petrol pump owner in Mohali committed suicide, blaming oil corporation officials among others in his suicide note, Petrol Pump Dealers Association Punjab (PPDAP) has called for a petrol pump bandh in the state on July 29 (Wednesday).

Petrol rate list displayed at the Sector 51 petrol pump in Chandigarh on June 25 this year. Punjab dealers claim price differential also causes losses for them. (HT File)

“We have planned to close down pumps in Punjab on Wednesday, July 29, in protest against the Punjab government and as a tribute to the petrol pump owner, who succumbed to the undue Pressure of Oil Company and wrong policies of the state government,” said Paramjit Singh Doaba, president, PPDAP.

He claimed that oil marketing companies and the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas failed to address dealers’ justified demand for price correction and increase in margins.

“This is just the beginning of a dark chapter of suicides by petrol dealers. More will follow, if oil companies and the state government do not listen to us,” said Manjit Singh, general secretary, PPDAP He added that of 3,451 outlets in Punjab, 800 border district outlets were on the verge of closure due to higher VAT rates in the state, which resulted in shift of trade and smuggling.

“Due to the lockdown, losses in March, April, May have eaten into our capital. Nearly every dealer is on the verge of bankruptcy,” added Ranjit Singh Gandhi, treasurer, PPDAP.