Petrol pumps to close for 3 days
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 15 2024: Petrol pumps operating in the valley districts have decided to shut business for three days starting from Friday.

Retail outlet dealers under Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Essar and Nayara Energy held a meeting at Hotel Nirmala this afternoon.

After deliberating threadbare on the myriad difficulties being faced by petrol pumps in the valley districts, the RO dealers decided to shut down business for three days.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting, the RO dealers said that the difficult situation being faced today can no longer be concealed but everyone needs to know the reality.

Petrol pumps to close for 3 days

The RO dealers said that they do not have any ill-feeling or bitterness against any individual or group of individuals.

Since the violent conflict erupted in May last year, the State's fuel market has shrunk dramatically.

As a result, the daily sale has declined a lot.

Even though the daily sale has declined drastically, the expenditures remain unchanged, they said.

The prices of petrol and diesel have risen from Rs 60 per litre and Rs 55 per litre in 2017 to Rs 101 and Rs 87 respectively.

From 2017 to the current time, the prices of petrol and diesel have risen by Rs 40 and Rs 32 respectively.

As such, investment has grown manifold.

Even though petrol pumps now require much bigger investment, the commissions given on petrol and diesel remain unchanged from 2017 .

A commission of Rs 3 is given on one litre of petrol and Rs 2 on one litre of diesel, they said.

Most of the ROs have their own tanker trucks.

Transportation of fuel to the State from loading points located outside the State along Imphal-Jiribam highway takes around 15 days.

As such, a tanker truck cannot make more than two trips in a month.

Although the fuel price has risen manifold and maintenance charge (of tanker trucks) has also risen considerably, the fuel transportation remains unchanged from 2013, the RO dealers.

They said that the petrol pumps were yet to recover from the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic when a violent conflict erupted in Manipur.

In short, petroleum business was running with losses for many years, they said.

The decision to shut petrol pumps for three days should not be construed as blackmailing the public, they said.

"We are doing our business at the rates fixed by the Government.

Notwithstanding the difficult situation, many little known groups have been making repeated demands.

If their demands are declined, they tell us to shut our business", the RO dealers said.

They also appealed to all concerned to understand the situation.

Saying that they would help to the level they can afford, the RO dealers appealed to all concerned not to threaten petrol pumps.