Demanding reduction in Value Added Taxes (VAT) on petrol, diesel and CNG gas, the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) will conduct a State wide protest in the city on October 22, 23. Around 400 fuel pumps will be closed from 6 am to 5 pm.
“Having petitioned the Delhi Government to reduce the VAT on petroleum, the association has decided to conduct a protest to press their demands. Currently it has been decided that a two day protest will be held. If our demands were not met, the protest will continue and people will face problem. All the fuel pumps including the petrol CNG will be closed,” said Nischal Singhania , President, Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA)
The association also said that the there is huge reduction in the selling of fuels in the National Capital as the commuters started to fill their fuels in the neighboring regions of Haryan, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (UP) as oil was cheaper there as compared to Delhi. Both Diesel and Petrol in Delhi has become expensive as the neighboring states have reduced VAT by Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol & diesel. In comparison to Delhi, petrol in UP and Haryana is cheaper by Rs 2.59 and Rs 1.95 per litre, respectively, while diesel in these two states is cheaper by Rs 2.02 and Rs 1.72 per litre, as on October 10. Because of high price in Delhi and low prices in states like UP and Haryana, customers are deserting the petrol pumps in Delhi leading to huge drop in sales .”Approximately 68 lakh Litre fuels were sold earlier per day but now around 20 percent has been reduced due to which many of the workers and staffs at the fuel pumps have been removed. Also the fuels that are sold in the neighboring states contain Euro-1V which is one of the main reasons for pollution,” said Singhania.
“Due to difference in prices there has been a sharp drop of 50 percent to 60 percent in sale of diesel in Delhi and 25% in petrol in this quarter. On October 22 all the 400 pumps of Delhi will neither purchase nor sell Petrol, Diesel & CNG in protest for reduction of VAT on Petrol & Diesel in Delhi This festival season is peak season for our sale due to social travelling by residents of Delhi .” he added
DPDA further said that during the protest, fuels will be given to those in emergency as well as the emergency vehicles such as Ambulance, fire brigades vans and others.