BHUBANESWAR: In the wake of nation-wide implementation of daily revision of petroleum prices, fuel pumps across the State have decided to join the ‘no-purchase’ strike called by All India Petroleum Dealers’ Association (AIPDA) from June 16.
Over 1500 fuel pumps in Odisha will stop purchase of petrol and diesel protesting the daily revision of prices. The inventories available with the dealers in Odisha would last till June 17 evening after which petrol and diesel will not be available in the State if the protest continues.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has convened a meeting to discuss the issue with oil companies and AIPDA on Wednesday.
The oil companies are yet automate the retail units as it involves a cost. Working with a margin of four to five per cent per litre, it is not possible for all retailers to bear the cost of automation, Utkal Petroleum Dealers’ Association general secretary Sanjay Lath said.
The cost of maintaining the automated systems is around `8 lakh to `10 lakh annually. This is a cost overburden which is feasible for those dealers who sell more than 5,000 litres (high volume) of petrol and diesel in a day.
‘’The price revision has to be done at midnight for which the retailers have to share the machine password with an employee. This idea is not feasible and safe,’’ Lath added.
Around 500 petrol retailers have automated systems of which 300 are functioning. Rest 200 are manually operated retail outlets. Many of these vendors in backward districts do not have Internet facility and uninterrupted telephone network.
‘’How would an authorised petroleum dealer be communicated about the new rates on a daily basis if there is no infrastructure,’’ a Berhampur-based dealer said. There are only two petrol pumps in Daringbadi which do not have proper telephone network. Same is the case with a number of fuel stations in the KBK districts.Under such circumstances, the dealers selling low volume of fuel will not be able to transact and deliver petroleum products to customers, Lath added.