Punjab petro dealers call off strike

Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 2

The Punjab petroleum dealers called off their hunger strike following a meeting with Congress leaders, including Patiala legislator Preneet Kaur, Mohali MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu and Deepinder Singh Dhillon, here this evening.

Giving information, Ashwinder Singh Mongia, an office-bearer of the Punjab Petroleum Dealers Association, said Preneet Kaur assured them that the Congress would take up their issue in its manifesto, if the Akali-BJP government failed to settle it.

“We called off our strike following personal intervention of Congress leaders. Besides, we also got a positive response from the Union Petroleum Minister during a telephonic talk with him,” said Mongia.

Earlier, Preneet Kaur, along with Dhillon and Sidhu, met the protesters at around 4.30 pm at the site of protest in Phase VII and extended their full support to their demands.

It is to be noted that petroleum dealers of the state had been observing strike since Saturday. Their demands included government intervention to check loss to petroleum dealers of border areas of the state due to removal of the state specific cost by Indian Oil Company in Haryana.