Truckers' Protest: Fuel Pumps In Punjab See Panic Buying
In the wake of the restricted supply of petrol and diesel because of the protest, the Chandigarh administration ordered rationing of fuel to two- and four-wheelers with immediate effect until normalcy is restored.
Motorists queued up at fuel stations at many places in Punjab on Tuesday over fears that stocks would run dry soon with truckers keeping off the roads to protest stricter punishments in the new law on hit-and-run cases.
Later in the evening, authorities in some Punjab districts said the truckers have called off their strike and urged people not to resort to panic buying.
In the wake of the restricted supply of petrol and diesel because of the protest, the Chandigarh administration ordered rationing of fuel to two- and four-wheelers with immediate effect until normalcy is restored.
People queued up at petrol pumps in some parts of Haryana as well. Private bus operators and some auto-rickshaw unions in the state also joined the protest against the new provision.
Some truck, bus and tanker operators began a three-day strike on Monday in several states to protest the stricter punishments. Under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, set to replace the Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing authorities face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government appealed to the public not to resort to panic buying of fuel, assuring them of the availability of adequate stocks.
However, long queues were seen at petrol pumps across Punjab, with people getting into arguments over having to wait for long.
As per the Chandigarh administration order, two-wheelers would be allowed a maximum of two litres of fuel per transaction and four-wheelers five litres, with a maximum value of Rs 200 and Rs 500, respectively.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while referring to the stricter provision in the law, said 'the provision has been made so that people don't hit and run after the accidents' and should be seen in that perspective only.
Khattar was interacting with reporters in Chandigarh after having a meeting with his party MLAs related to Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra programmes in the state.
In a post on X, Deputy Commissioner of Hoshiarpur in Punjab, Komal Mittal, said she wanted to share information with the residents that 'we have received information that the driver associations..truck unions have ended their strike'.
"There are 240 petrol pumps in our district and I have spoken to petrol pump dealers association president and we have been told strike has ended. Tankers from the district are headed to Jalandhar for refueling and by today evening all petrol pumps will be refilled... There is no shortage, so there is no need for any panic," she said.
Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal said that tanker and truck operators strike has ended. Supply lines are functional, he said.
He said by evening from Jalandhar, diesel, petrol, LPG and other petroleum products are being transported to other districts in the state and outside the state, and the situation will normalise.
There is no need to panic and people should not resort to panic buying, he said.
Acting on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, a high-level meeting involving senior state and district officials was convened in Chandigarh to monitor the distribution of petrol and diesel in Punjab.
Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Home Secretary, Punjab, said later that there was no need for the public to panic as adequate stock of petrol and diesel is available in the state.
Against a daily consumption of about 4,100 kilo litres (KL) of petrol, the stock of petrol in various pumps across the state is about 22,600 KL and the same shall be replenished from time to time, he said.
Similarly, the state consumes about 10,000 KL of diesel daily and the stocks with the filling stations are currently more than 30,000 KL, and 90,000 KL is also available at various terminals, he added.
The home secretary asserted that the stock position of a few filling stations should not be used to reflect the position of total stocks in Punjab.
During the meeting, district officials were asked to remain vigilant and ensure smooth movement of petrol and diesel trucks across the state.
They were also asked to have meetings with the section of striking transporters to facilitate redressal of their grievance.
The police were also asked to remain vigilant to ensure smooth and uninterrupted movement and sale of diesel/ petrol across the state.
Senior officers of oil marketing companies, who were also present in the meeting, assured the state government that they would leave no stone unturned in ensuring adequate supply of petrol, diesel and LPG in the state, said an official statement.
Earlier, secretary general of the Punjab Petroleum Dealers Association Rajesh Kumar said there are nearly 4,000 petrol pumps in the state and fuel supply has been affected due to the agitation since Monday.
Ravinder Singh Khalsa, a truck driver, said they are demanding the withdrawal of the 'stringent provisions' in the new law.
"The new law is against the interest of drivers. Nobody intentionally wants to injure or cause anyone's death, but accidents happen. In such cases, people turn against the driver and sometimes the mob damages the vehicle and causes harm to the driver too. We demand that the new law be amended," truck operator Sushil Kumar said.
In Haryana's Ambala, some fuel stations have already reported a shortage of petrol and diesel as no fresh supply has been received in the last two days, president of the petroleum dealer's association Ravinder Singh Dhillon said.
