Dealers threaten to stop refuelling govt vehicles over unpaid bills
Upset over the non-payment of fuel bills by various government departments, petroleum dealers have decided to halt fuel supplies to government vehicles from April 1. In some districts, outstanding bills for individual departments have exceeded Rs 1 crore.
The Petrol Pump Dealers Association, Punjab, said many local bodies, deputy commissioner offices, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, police, jail, excise and education departments, besides many market committees and others had not cleared fuel bills since long.
“The government has funds for other schemes, but it fails to clear fuel bills,” said a fuel station dealer. “My bills worth lakhs have not been cleared by three departments, including police and municipal corporation, for the past six months,” he added.
Meanwhile, a majority of the vehicles recently provided to the district police wings for ensuring better patrolling remain unused due to shortage of fuel.
A senior PPS officer said fuel stations were not extending any credit to the police force. The official police lines fuel stations could cater only to senior officers or escort and pilot vehicles of VIPs.
“Many a time, sending a police team to a crime spot becomes difficult and the SHO concerned has to ensure good relations at the local level to get department vehicles refuelled,” he said.
“Our fuel bills to the tune of Rs 30 crore have been pending for the past many months and in certain cases over a year. Despite raising the issue with government departments several times, we get only assurances,” Petrol Pump Dealers Association president Paramjit Singh Doaba told The Tribune.
“The treasury has no money for us. We have now decided that no dealer will allow any credit for refuelling of government vehicles. If the bills are not cleared by March 31, the fuel supply will be stopped completely,” he added.
Finance Minister Harpal Cheema could not be contacted for comments on the issue, but a senior government official said the pending fuel bill would be cleared soon.
