UP petrol pumps to observe 12-hour strike tomorrow

Petrol pumps across Uttar Pradesh will observe a token strike for 12 hours tomorrow, in line with the call given by the UP Petroleum Traders Association (UPPTA).

"All the petrol pumps, excluding company-operated ones, will remain closed fom 5 am to 5 pm across the state to press for the long-pending demands of the owners," UPPTA secretary Sudhir Bora said.

At present, including company-operated retail outlets, there are 3,600 petrol pumps in UP.

The main demand of the UPPTA is payment of dues by the government against petrol and diesel products purchased on credit during the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

"Full payments of petrol and diesel purchased by the government has not been cleared yet leading to financial harassment of the dealer," UPPTA President B N Shukla said.

He alleged that property tax being charged from the petrol pumps has been hiked by 10 to 50 times by local bodies, which is being realised like loans from the dealers.

"While petrol and diesel have been exempted from VAT, lubricating oil has been covered in its ambit," Shukla said.