The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Petroleum dealers plan one-day strike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 13, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Petroleum dealers plan one-day strike

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, APRIL 12. Petrol pumps all over the country will go dry between midnight on April 17 and midnight on April 18. Petroleum dealers have decided to go on a one-day token strike demanding adequate dealer commission and uniform pricing of petrol and diesel across the nation.

Addressing presspersons here today, the Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association, State secretary, SP. Kumarappan, said though petrol and diesel prices had doubled in the last three years, necessitating more investments, there was not an increase in the dealers' commission.

With more number of outlets coming up in the last three years, sales in the existing outlets had come down, he said. Of the 25,000 outlets in the country, 6,761 had come up in the last three years.

In Tamil Nadu alone, of the 2,250 outlets, 750 had come up in the past two years.

The association urged the Centre to fix a percentage as commission for the dealers, instead of giving it on litre basis.

It urged the State Government to lower the stamping verification fee levied on petrol pumps.

Pilferage, adulteration

Mr. Kumarappan alleged that pilferage and adulteration took place en route — while petrol was transported through lorries.

Of 12,000 litres of petrol transported in a lorry, the pilferage was about 150 litres and adulteration was done to make up for the loss, he alleged. This, he said, affected the dealers most.

The association sought the setting up a testing laboratory at oil terminals/ depots in the State.

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