The Hindu : Front Page : Many fuel bunks in State complain of delay in supply

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Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008
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Many fuel bunks in State complain of delay in supply

N. Ravi Kumar

— Photo: V.Ganesan

NO STOCK: A petrol bunk on Poonamallee High Road, which reported dry-out on Monday morning.

CHENNAI: Many petrol bunks across the State, including those in major cities such as Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore, are complaining of delay in receipt or inadequate supply of petrol and diesel.

As a result, many of them are reporting dry-out or dispensing only the expensive branded petrol and diesel. While dealers say this may be the beginning of a tougher phase of rationing of the products, officials of the national oil companies vouch there is no reason to panic.

Confirming that dealers are reporting shortage, an official of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. says whatever is available is being distributed. The cash crunch faced by oil marketing companies as a result of their mounting under-recoveries and soaring crude prices has led to a situation where they have nearly stopped imports.

He says retail outlets in Chennai are better placed with regard to the supply than those in other locations across the State.

A spokesperson of Indian Oil Corporation, however, claims regular supplies are being maintained to the outlets. And there are no glitches in transport of fuel. On the dealers’ complaints, he says they will be looked into.

Denying it is a large-scale problem, sources in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) say: “There may be dry-out here and there… owing to operational problems.” Tamilnadu Petroleum Dealers’ Association president M. Kannan says outlets of the companies in Madurai, Tirupur, Coimbatore, Salem, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli are reporting dry-out. There is talk about the companies considering rationing the products by supplying this month the same quantity of products sold in the corresponding period last year. With that it will be difficult to meet the demand, as last year the retail outlets of private oil marketing companies were functioning, he points out.

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