SRINAGAR: A move that could completely paralyse life in Kashmir, the government has asked the oil depots in the Valley not to distribute fuel to dealers.
This has angered the petrol dealers who have raised their voice against the move.
“From yesterday morning, Oil depots including Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum and Indian Oil have stopped distributing fuel to the dealers in the Valley,” Bilal Ahmad, spokesperson of Petrol Dealers Association, Kashmir, said.
“While BP depots owner said that he has closed down his depot due to Raksha Bandhan festival, HP and Indian Oil depot owners said that they have shut due to technical errors’ in their machines,” Ahmad said.
“But we have learnt that the divisional administration, Kashmir, has asked them to stop distributing fuel to the dealers,” he added.
The move is likely to backfire as consumers and petrol dealers are fuming with the government’s decision.
“In such crises, only those people would consume fuel which needs to go to hospitals to attend patients, Hajjis who travelled to Hajj house, media persons, or in other emergencies,” said Zahid Wani, a car owner.
The petrol dealers said that in the ongoing crises they would distribute oil to hospital ambulances, or persons who had emergencies.
“Since the situation is not normal, only consumers who have any emergency travel in the Valley. But the government wants to paralyse the life here completely,” the petrol dealers said.
Oil companies, HP, BP and Indian oil have their depots at Sempora and Kadlabal in Pampore town in Pulwama district.
Their owners here have refused the petrol pump owners fuel supply from yesterday morning.
Govt Refutes Fuel Embargo
SRINAGAR: Strongly denying the reports that the oil companies have been asked to stop fuel supply to Kashmir, the Divisional Administration Thursday said the oil companies have approached the Government with the plea that their tankers are facing recurrent attacks by the mobs in the Valley.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Khan said that while there are enough stocks of fuel available in Kashmir, the oil companies including Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum and Indian Oil have communicated in writing that their tankers are being attacked in the Kashmir valley, an official spokesperson said this evening.
“The oil companies have informed that 28 tankers have been damaged in attacks by violent mobs and it has become difficult for them to operate amid prevailing law and order situation,” he said.
The Divisional Commissioner said the oil companies have been assured of adequate security by the State Government to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply to Kashmir.
“We have asked the oil companies to ensure adequate supply of fuel to Kashmir and have assured them of security as well,” he said.
The Divisional Commissioner has sought people’s cooperation in ensuring hassle-free movement of oil tankers to Kashmir.
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