Fuel stations operating normally: Grewal

Ludhiana, October 16, 2012: The Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT), an umbrella body which claims representation of most of the 42,000 petrol pumps in the country, today said its members have not gone on strike and fuel stations were operating normally.
Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal, National Secretary, FAIPT told City Air News that since the government was considering raising dealers commission, there was no cause of agitation.

"All petrol pumps are operating normally across the country. FAIPT has not given any call for closure," Grewal said.

He told that the Confederation of Indian Petroleum Dealers, which some months back broke ranks from FAIPT headed by National President Ashok Badhwar, National General Secretary Ajay Bansal had stated that dealers were in "deep financial trouble" because of increased operational costs and were "left with no option but to cut the cost of operations".
"With our backs to the wall, it was resolved that the retail outlets will operate single shift from October 15 to cut costs on manpower and electricity as acute austerity measures," he said.
Adding, he told that FAIPT said there was "no truth" that petrol pumps would be shut at 5 pm. "Petrol pumps all over the country shall be operating  normally," he said.

"The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has already written to the oil marketing companies to address the issues and demands of the dealers within a period of 15 days and as such there is no reason or occasion for members of FAIPT to resort to any agitational approach", he said.
He said they demanded dealers commission to be raised from Rs 1.49 per litre on petrol currently to Rs 2.16 a  litre and that on diesel from Rs 0.91 to Rs 1.32 per litre, as per a cost analysis done on an all India basis.

Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal
National Secretary, FAIPT