Petrol pump owners threaten indefinite strike

Petrol pump owners throughout the country threatened to go on an indefinite strike if the government decides to cancel allotments made befor...

Petrol pump owners throughout the country threatened to go on an indefinite strike if the government decides to cancel allotments made before 2000. The threat came from

The Federation of All India Petroleum Traders in the wake of a statement made by the petroleum minister Ram Naik on Friday that the government would review the allotments made between 1983 and 2000 by the previous governments.

Even the All India LPG Dealership Federation has decided to call an executive council meeting in Mumbai next week to decide on the future course of action.

Talking to The Indian Express, Ashok Badhwar, president of The Federation of All India Petroleum Traders said “in our minds, all allotments (of petrol pumps) have been done according to rules and following laid down principles.

If review means scrapping allotments, than we would not hesitate to close shop on our own. The government, it seems, intends to close down our outlets and hence it makes sense for us to close it down ourselves.”

According to Sailesh Jain, executive vice president of All India LPG Dealership Federation, “the federation would meet to chart out its future course of action”.

Badhwar said the recent order of the prime minister terminating all allotments of petrol pumps, gas agencies and kerosene dealerships done since January 2000 had affected genuine allottees. According to him the federation may approach the Supreme Court against the ordinance cancelling the allotments.