NEW DELHI: More than 2,000 petrol pumps in the country, particularly in remote areas, on Tuesday faced fuel crisis due to the ongoing protest by truck drivers. Petrol pumps in states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab either are out of petrol and diesel stock or on the verge of running out.
There was a huge rush at pumps as people were seen refuelling their vehicles out of panic in these states. However, oil companies such as Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) maintained that they have topped up tanks but if the protest continues for the next two or three days, there may be a crisis situation.
“Our petrol pumps have started facing shortage today as oil tankers are not being allowed by these protesters to reach the depot to refill petrol pumps. Moreover, there were reports of ransacking at Meerut depot. Therefore, I request truck drivers and protesters to shun violence and sort out the issue peacefully, by dialogue,” according to Ajay Bansal, general secretary of All-India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT). It all began on Monday when truck, bus and tanker operators launched a three-day protest on the new criminal law Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), , formulated to replace the Indian Penal Code, for hit-and-run cases.
According to the new regulation, a driver may face up to 10 years’ imprisonment in a hit-and-run case. Truckers consider this law harsh on them. The drivers believe that in case of an accident, there are chances of mob lynching. There are about 1 lakh trucks that ferry petrol and diesel as well as LPG from oil company depots to petrol pumps and gas distribution agencies.