Petrol dealers to protest daily price change

Tribune News Service

New Delhi June 13

Even as state-run oil companies assured daily revision of fuel prices won’t hurt petrol pump dealers, the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) announced its support saying it will join the “no purchase no sale” call given by the Federation of all India Petroleum Traders on June 16 against the move by oil marketing companies.

The decision was taken in a management committee meeting of the Delhi-based association held today.

The DPDA said the oil companies have not considered the ground reality that the automation system installed at most of the pumps  is not supporting the automatic price change in the dispensing machines.

“State-run oil companies, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd  have decided to revise petrol and diesel prices every day in sync with international rates, beginning on June 16,” said dealers in a statement issued by the DPDA.

The association contended that without the price being pushed automatically through the automation system the petrol dealers are not ready to do it manually or fetch the price on a daily basis as being advised by the oil marketing companies. “This manual intervention can lead to errors and delays in operation of the petrol pump,” the DPDA added.

“A very stringent fine of Rs 5 lakh and suspension of sales and supplies for 60 days has been implemented in the amended guidelines for not operating the petrol pump in the automation mode, or making automation dysfunctional,” it stated.