Causing inconvenience to lakhs of motorists across the State, more than 2,300 fuel pumps in Haryana went on an indefinite strike on Monday to press for various demands, including lower VAT on diesel.
People could get petrol and diesel only at a few filling stations, most of which are run by the oil companies themselves or by State Government agencies. Some of the fuel pumps, which are directly owned by oil companies like Indian Oil, BPCl and HPCl, were open in the State.
The motorists in major cities and towns like Gurgaon, Faridabad, Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, Hisar and Ambala were the worst hit due to the strike.
As many as 2,310 fuel pumps across the State went on strike from 6 am in the morning, said All-Haryana Petroleum Dealers Association senior vice-president Palwinder Singh Oberoi on Monday.
He said that petroleum dealers will not buy or sell fuel. As per a decision taken on July 17, all petroleum dealers of Haryana went on indefinite strike on Monday, said he.
There is a complete shutdown of fuel outlets across the State, including Gurgaon, he claimed.
Dealers have also refused to meet Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala for resolving the matter, saying they will talk only with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar.
Oberoi said, “A day before, we were asked to hold a meeting with Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala. But we refused to meet him as he had earlier failed to honour his promise. We are ready to talk with the Chief Minister if we receive any message in this regard from Government side.”
The monthly sale of diesel in Haryana stands at 53 lakh kilo litres, dealers said.
Petroleum dealers were agitated over the alleged failure of the Haryana Government in keeping the tax on diesel lower than that in the neighbouring States for the survival of fuel pump owners. The dealers are demanding that tax on diesel should be lower by 1-2 per cent than the rates prevailing in the neighbouring States.
They have claimed that uniformity in tax rate on diesel in northern States will hit the sale of diesel in Haryana, saying that 70 per cent of total sale of diesel is consumed by vehicles, including truck operators coming from other States.
Dealers have also been demanding removal of 5 per cent surcharge on VAT and landing cost of crude oil at Panipat refinery from the State Government.
Notably, Punjab and Haryana had raised Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel on July 16.
While the SAD-BJP-led Government had hiked VAT on diesel to 13.4 per cent, the neighbouring BJP Government in Haryana jacked up the tax to 16.4 per cent on the commodity. After adding local levies like cess and surcharge, the effective rate of tax on diesel in Punjab and Haryana became 17.29 per cent and 17.22 per cent, respectively. UT Chandigarh had also increased VAT on diesel from 9.68 per cent to 16.4 per cent.