Farmers, transporters, petrol dealers on warpath

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 17

Members of Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association Punjab, (PPDAP), along with farmers bodies including Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal and Rajewal groups), transporters’ bodies and industry representatives held an angry protest here on Monday and submitted memorandum to the state government through the Deputy Commissioner seeking reduction in VAT on petrol and diesel to bring the prices on a par with those in Chandigarh and neighbouring states.

The protesting farmers, petrol dealers and transporters claimed that such district-level protests were held in front of the offices of all Deputy Commissioners to register protest against very high fuel prices in Punjab due to higher VAT rates.

The protest was led by Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary, BKU; Ashok Sachdeva, Ashok Jain, Kamal Sharma and other members from PPDAP, Charan Singh Lohara, president of Transporters’ Association and Bawa Jain from the Federation of Industries and Business.

Paramjit Singh Doaba, Manjit Sing, Ranjit Singh Gandhi, president, general secretary and treasurer of PPDAP, respectively, submitted a memorandum demanding reduction in VAT on petroleum products to Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal in Chandigarh, the protesters claimed

Lakhowal as well as other protesting petrol dealers and transporters said with the next Lok Sabha elections being just a few months away, the affected sections with the support of farmers and transporters would continue to put more pressure on the government for bringing down VAT rates to a reasonable level.

“Due to wrong policies, the Punjab Government is losing revenue to neighbouring states as petrol pumps in Punjab are operating on just 40 per cent of their volumetric capabilities, whereas pumps in border districts are selling just 10 per cent of their total potential,” claimed PPDAP secretary Sachdeva. Monty Sehgal, another petrol dealer, said petrol pumps located in districts bordering neighbouring states of Punjab and on highways leading to or originating from neighbouring states, were the worst affected.

BKU members submit memorandum to Samrala SDM

Samrala: Members of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) on Monday staged a protest march against high diesel and petrol prices and submitted a memorandum about their demands to SDM Samrala Gitika Singh.  Led by BKU president Balbir Singh Rajewal a number of farmers assembled at the bypass near Samrala with tractors and trucks and held a protest march. They were raising slogans against the Central and state governments for high diesel, petrol prices despite reduction in crude oil prices at international level.  Rajewal said the Centre had failed to give oil on due rates to consumers although the rates of crude oil had decreased. He said diesel was Rs 4.5 and petrol Rs 10 less in Haryana as compared to Punjab and demanded rollback of VAT in Punjab in the interest of farmers and common people.  Rajewal demanded immediate rollback of oil prices or face big protest in the coming days. Rajewal also demanded that arrangements be made to control stray animals. They warned that they would be forced to leave stray animals in Chandigarh by ferrying these in tractor trolleys if the state government failed to solve this problem. He also demanded the release of long pending dues of sugarcane to farmers by mill owners without any delay. Some other leaders of BKU also addressed members during the protest. The SDM assured them that their memorandum would be forwarded to the officials concerned. Traffic had to be diverted due to the protest and commuters had to face some difficulties. OC