MUMBAI, DECEMBER 25: The three-state strike threatened by the Petrol Dealers Association (PDA) was called off after a third and final round of talks between the PDA and the Regional Oil Coordinator representing the oil industry on Saturday.The strike scheduled to begin from midnight of December 25 in the three states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh was deferred after a settlement that no action would be taken against the dealers, should the samples in a prescribed manner be retained at the dealership.The dealers were agitating because they wanted to test the product before it is poured into their tanks, while the oil companies wanted the testing to be done after it is decanted into the dealers tanks.A high power oil industry meeting was convened today which included the directors marketing of BPC, HPC, IBP with the Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT) (West zone) delegation led by their president Ashok Dikshit.According to a FAIPT press release, the three state dealers' delegation partly resolved the problem, resulting in deferment of the strike.The dealer delegation has agreed for the moment to set aside their demand for product testing pending the formation of a joint core group of the oil industry and the dealers delegation to be formed within the time frame of January 15, 2000, whereby all systems of development will be recommended at put into place by January 31, 2000.Earlier the PDA had termed the indefinite strike as a `no purchase campaign' to protest against raids and alleged harassment being conducted on them by government agencies including the oil companies. Nearly 4,500 petrol pumps all over Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh were to draw their last supplies of fuel on Saturday.
