Petrol dealers to go ahead with strike on Friday

New Delhi, Apr 11 (UNI) Petrol pumps in the country will be shut for a day Friday, with petroleum dealers demanding among other things a five per cent margin on invoice value.

Petrol dealers are going ahead with the decision to strike despite Petroleum Minister Murli Deora's appeal today to petrol pump operators to call off their proposed strike from April 13, saying their main demand of raising commission on sale of petrol and diesel will be considered.

''We are considering their demands and a decision is likely to be taken in early May,'' Mr Deora told reporters after meeting a delegation of Federation Of All India Petroleum Dealers Association here.

However, Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT) Ajay Bansal said that after the one meeting with Mr Deora and Secretary Petroleum M S Srinivasan, the dealers did not get any written assurance.

The pump operators are seeking a 5 per cent commission on petrol and diesel sales. Currently, dealers get Rs 0.89 on sale of every litre of petrol and Rs 0.52 on sale of every litre of diesel.

FAIPT, claiming support of about 32,000 petrol pumps in the country, has threatened to go on a strike from April 12 midnight.

''The strike is not an answer. When we had recently raised commission of dealers and are again promising to look into their demands, there is no reason why they should go on any strike,'' Mr Deora said.

At current price of Rs 42.85 a litre of petrol, the five per cent commission works out to Rs 2.14. Similarly, on the current price of Rs 30.25 a litre of diesel, the commission works out to Rs 1.51 per litre.

''We may take a decision on their demand next month,'' Deora said.

Mr Bansal said if the issues involved are not resolved immediately, the 32,000 petroleum dealers all over India would launch an indefinite stir from April 28 affecting consumers.

Regreting that such a move would badly hit 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.

He said the Government was well aware of their problems 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