2 min readNew DelhiMay 14, 2010 12:24 AM IST
First published on: May 14, 2010 at 12:24 AM IST
It will be a tough Friday for commuters in Delhi as 408 petrol pumps in the city will shut for a day following a strike declared by the Delhi NCR Petrol Dealers’ Association (DNPDA) to protest against the hike in VAT rates on diesel.
Despite assurances from the Chief Minister after the earlier strike on April 9,the association claims no positive response has come from the Delhi government. Further,association members warned of strikes every Monday from May 24 if Friday’s token strike fails to get a positive response from the government.
DNPDA vice-president Ajay Bansal said there was a big difference in diesel prices in the neighbouring states,with Delhi having one the highest rates in the country and Haryana one of the lowest. “As a result,the sales of dealers in Delhi have plummeted by more than 60 per cent in the past month,” he claimed. After VAT was hiked from 12.5 to 20 per cent,diesel has become costlier by approximately Rs 4 than in Haryana,said the dealers,adding that some of the pumps were on the verge of closure.
General secretary T S Anand said they want the rates of diesel in Delhi and Haryana to be the same. He said that instead of increasing revenue for the Commonwealth Games,the hiked VAT rates will only result in a fall in sales and revenue.
Share
