Petrol dealers demand five per cent margin, shut pumps on 13th

New Delhi, Apr 9 (UNI) Petrol pumps will be shut on Friday across the country with petrol dealers demanding among other things a five per cent margin on invoice value.

If the issues involved are not resolved immediately, the 32,000 petroleum dealers all over India would launch an indefinite nationwide stir from April 28, Secretary, Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT) Ajay Bansal said.

Regreting that such a move would badly affect the consumers as well as the economy at such a crucial time, the dealers said despite their best efforts, the Federation had failed to get a positive response from the Petroleum Ministry and the oil companies towards the resolution of the problems faced by them.

He said the Government was well aware of the matter but had kept it pending for the last one and a half years for no reason. The dealers' demand include their margin be fixed at five per cent of the invoice value; pending submission of the report of the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehra Dun, no action should be taken against the dealers for negative stock losses beyond the current permissible limits; appoint an appellate authority where the dealers may make an appeal against the high-handedness of the officers of oil companies and oil companies should also be subjected to marker test to check the authenticity of the product being despatched to the dealers.

He said despite repeated promises, the oil marketing companies had not provided the dealers with marker kits to test adulteration of kerosene and check its misuse. This had caused widespread resentment, as dealers were unable to comprehend what the exact procedure is for such a formula.

UNI