Fuel dealers across the State continued their agitation for the second consecutive day on Thursday, demanding an increase in their margin as per the Apurva Chandra Committee report.
Over 4,600 fuel outlets in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and 54,000 around the country had begun their two-day ‘stop-fuel-purchase from oil companies’ agitation on Wednesday. Dealers sat outside fuel terminals all over the State and prevented fuel trucks from entering or leaving the facilities.
Oil industry sources, however, said that there was no crisis as such and most outlets had enough fuel. “Company outlets have fuel and some dealers too took products. The dealers have been called over to Mumbai for talks, convened by top officials of oil companies, on Friday. We will have to wait and watch the outcome of the discussions,” the source said.
Dealers are also demanding that dues that are pending from 1997 be given to those having their own land and infrastructure and termed as B-site dealers . “In a recent meeting, we found that instead of paying us Rs. 34.50 per 1,000 litres of fuel, the companies were paying us Rs. 3.45 since 1997. We want that differential amount reimbursed as a whole,” said K. Suresh Kumar, vice president, Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association. A large section of dealers doing very low-volume business will benefit from the increase in margin and the reimbursement, he added. However, if oil companies do not accede to the demand, motorists might have to tank up on fuel between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., beginning Saturday.
In several outlets, customers were told that only premium-branded fuel was available.
A worried consumer said that this could lead to black marketing.
Over 4,600 fuel outlets in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and 54,000 around the country had begun their two-day ‘stop-fuel-purchase from oil companies’ agitation on Wednesday. Dealers sat outside fuel terminals all over the State and prevented fuel trucks from entering or leaving the facilities.
Oil industry sources, however, said that there was no crisis as such and most outlets had enough fuel. “Company outlets have fuel and some dealers too took products. The dealers have been called over to Mumbai for talks, convened by top officials of oil companies, on Friday. We will have to wait and watch the outcome of the discussions,” the source said.
Dealers are also demanding that dues that are pending from 1997 be given to those having their own land and infrastructure and termed as B-site dealers . “In a recent meeting, we found that instead of paying us Rs. 34.50 per 1,000 litres of fuel, the companies were paying us Rs. 3.45 since 1997. We want that differential amount reimbursed as a whole,” said K. Suresh Kumar, vice president, Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association. A large section of dealers doing very low-volume business will benefit from the increase in margin and the reimbursement, he added. However, if oil companies do not accede to the demand, motorists might have to tank up on fuel between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., beginning Saturday.
In several outlets, customers were told that only premium-branded fuel was available.
A worried consumer said that this could lead to black marketing.