In what is a shocking news to a majority of vehicle owners in the country, a petroleum dealers association with a presence in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra has decided to shut down petrol pumps every Sunday from May 14 onward, according to a report.

It automatically translates into vehicle owners being unable to avail petrol on Sundays resulting in hardship for them.

The Consortium of India Petroleum Dealers (CIPD)has reportedly taken the decision keeping in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to reduce fuel consumption.

AD Sathyanarayan, President, Consortium of India Petroleum Dealers as saying,

“In line with the Prime Minister’s appeal to reduce fuel consumption the CIPD has decided to request its members to declare Sunday as holiday from 14 May 2017,” the Business Standard quoted

Meanwhile, Ajay Bansal, president of All India Petroleum Dealers’ Association, clarified that this was not going to have a countrywide impact as the CIPD had the presence in just a few states.

“This will create panic. The association that has called for such a move has presence in only Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. We are not supporting this decision, while we also have the same demands to increase,” he told Business Standard.

This comes at a time when the government is yet to take a call on dealers’ commission, something that the petrol pump owners will be protesting by shutting fuel stations on May 10 as no purchase day.

Earlier, media reports had said that petrol pump owners had threatened to take off every Sunday over demand for a higher commission. In fact, petrol pump owners were expected to mark May 10 ‘No Purchase Day’ as a protest.

In addition, petrol pump owners have said that they will work only for eight hours in a day all across the country post-May 10. And also, May 10 will be observed as “No Purchase Day.”

The government has not taken a decision on the issue in which the petrol pump owners are demanding higher dealer commission. State-run oil firms had assured higher dealer commission to petrol pump owners in January to stop their strike.

According to a report in the Times of India, Petrol Dealers’ Association said, “We had withdrawn the strike threat in January after oil marketing companies assured to revise dealer commission rates. But nothing happened in four months.”

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