An association of petrol pump dealers will use 'do not buy petrol and diesel' to protest against oil marketing companies' failure to increase their commissions, but the protest is unlikely to cause disruption in supply because there is only a small amount of fuel in stock.
The association said in a statement, “Though there was an agreement between oil companies and dealer associations that the dealer margins will be revised since 2017. The price of fuel has almost doubled since 2017, increasing the working capital of in business, resulting in additional loans and bank interest thereupon.”
Industry officials say the gas pumps do not need to be refilled daily and their storage tanks can hold enough supplies for a few days. Dealers associations have hailed the relief for the country's citizens by reducing gasoline and diesel prices through excise tax breaks.
The 22 states that the dealers will oppose are Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, and North Bengal.