(Repeating to all Correcting in 2nd Para Third Line)

Kolkata, Jan 30 (UNI) Ending the six day ordeal West Bengal Tankers Association today called off their indefinite strike following a request made by Transport Minister Subash Chakraborty, albeit with a rider.

Announcing this following a meeting with the minister association general secreatary Ajit Das however, said they had only deferred their agitation for 15 days awaiting a better transportation rate from the PSU oil companies.

''We have decided to keep in abeyance the strike for 15 days considering the hardship of the people with many of the petrol pumps in the state going dry. The minister has also requested us. But we are not signing any agreement with the companies right now,''Mr Das told reporters.

The tanker operators had gone for an indefinite strike on January 25 demanding the rate for carrying oil from depots to petrol pumps to be almost doubled.

While the present rate was at Rs 110 per km, the oil companies yesterday announced an increased of Rs 122.77 per km after a tripartite meeting convened by the transport minister failed to break the deadlock.

But insisting that the hike was not enough to compensate for the loses they were making the operators stuck to their demand for a higher rate.

Mr Chakroborty, who had blamed the oil companies for the continuing impasse promised petroleum minister Murli Deora to end the strike today itself after the union minister rang him up expressing concern over the situation in the state.

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