Srinagar- Chaotic scenes were witnessed at fuel stations across Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday as a truckers’ strike, protesting stricter penalties in hit-and-run cases under new laws, disrupted supplies in the region. The strike triggered a surge in panic-buying, with motorists queuing up to secure fuel amidst growing uncertainty.
With most petrol pumps in the city reportedly running dry, the J&K fuel station owners’ association warned that 90% of pumps in Jammu have depleted stocks, as 1,500 fuel tankers were on strike, impacting supplies to the Union Territory of J&K and Ladakh.
“We had enough supplies to last four to five days, but since everyone is filling full tanks and there is a huge rush, the stock will last maximum for a day,” a fuel station manager in Srinagar said.
Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is set to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing police or the administration will face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh. Truckers in several states launched a protest against the “stringent provision” on Monday.
The strike, leading to non-delivery of petroleum products on depots, was called off in the evening after assurance from authorities. However, the All J&K Petrol Tanker Owners’ Association had earlier said that drivers will not return to work unless the new legislations are repealed.
Truck drivers at Narwal, Jammu, asserting their solidarity with the nationwide strike on Tuesday, had announced their will to halt the movement of trucks towards Kashmir and Ladakh. The drivers expressed discontent with what they perceive as stringent regulations, citing harsh penalties associated with the current law.
Speaking to media persons, the truck drivers said that they feel sad to see that the essential supply is getting hit due to our protest but they have no other option but to resort to a nationwide strike.
“A truck driver would never wish for an accident to happen. No driver desires to cause harm to anyone. However, if an accident occurs unintentionally, where would the driver get a total of seven lakh rupees? If we had lakhs of rupees at our disposal, we wouldn’t have chosen to become truck drivers; we would have pursued different professions,” a truck driver said. “It is unfortunate that such a law has been framed which will break the back of truck drivers,” he added.
Another truck driver echoed similar sentiments, alleging that this law has been formulated to benefit insurance companies. “We are severely underpaid, and our families depend on us. We earn around ten thousand rupees a month, if an accident occurs, how are we supposed to arrange lakhs of rupees? We will persist with our protest until the law is either abolished or amended,” emphasized the driver.
Earlier, Anand Sharma, president of All J&K petrol tankers owners’ association and J&K fuel station owners’ association said, “All the oil tankers are on strike since Monday morning. No driver has loaded the oil from oil depots because they call the new provisions “black law”, which are not acceptable to them”.
“The situation is going to get worse if the government fails to roll back the black law imposed on us. Ninety per cent of pumps have gone dry and in the next two hours, all the fuel stations will go dry. The government has bitterly failed to address the issue,” he said.
Sharma added that if the situation continues like this, there will be no fuel supply for the armed forces and the public which will badly hit normal life in J&K and Ladakh.
At least 1,500 tankers—800 with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), 350 with Bharat Petroleum Corporation and 350 with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation replenish supplies in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Pertinently, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, V K Bidhuri said, “There is an impact of the nationwide strike here as well. But we have 21 days’ stock of diesel and 24 days’ stock of petrol available at the depots in the Valley. We also have over 20 days’ stock of LPG available.”
“I have held a meeting with the representatives of the oil companies as well. There is no need to panic,” he added.
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