CHENNAI: Pressing their demand for better margins, thousands of petrol outlets across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry began their protests in a novel manner, by switching off lights at the fuel stations for 15 minutes on Wednesday night.
According to the dealers, the State-owned oil marketing firms failed to disburse the margin based on investment in land and other infrastructure as recommended by Apoorva Chandra Committee report since 2010, leading to a situation where each of them had lakhs pending as arrears. “The next step,” said KP Murali, president of the TN Petroleum Dealers Association, “is not to buy petrol and diesel on November 3 and 4.” Both being working days, it could lead to a shortage which would, in turn, have a crippling effect on transport sector and common man.
As many as 4,700 petrol outlets went dark for 15 minutes. Dealers, who are now getting Rs 2.42 and Rs 1.52 as margin per litre of petrol and diesel, have been demanding the implementation of the committee report which had suggested fixing of margin based on the investment.
As per the report, they should be paid Rs 2 for sale of a litre of diesel and Rs 3 per litre of petrol.
Factoids
Price of petrol without taxes/commission: J27.91
Central taxes: J21.99
State taxes: J14.13
Dealer Commission: J2.42
Total: J66.45
Price of diesel without taxes/commission: J27.79
Central taxes: J17.85
State taxes: J8.20
Dealer commission: J1.54
Total: J55.38
Sale of petrol (thousand metric tonnes)
Tamil Nadu: 2,052.1
Southern states: 6719.2
All India: 21,846.4
Sale of diesel (thousand metric tonnes)
Tamil Nadu: 6311.8
Southern states: 21315.6
All India: 74,590.2
Oil Industry retail outlets
Tamil Nadu: 4702
South India: 15,935
All India: 56,190