Kashmir Unrest: Oil depot owners asked ‘to stop’ distributing fuel to dealers

CAPD Minister denies having issued any such order

5 Dariya News

Srinagar 18-Aug-2016

The government has asked the oil depots in the Valley not to distribute fuel to dealers, a move criticised by the petrol dealers and which could completely paralyse life in Kashmir. But the government denied having taken any such decision.“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, told KNS.“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 commissioner, 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 who need to go to hospitals, Hajjis who travel to Hajj house, media persons, or for 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 here fuel supply from yesterday morning.However, the government denied having taken any such decision. “We have not asked Oil depot owners to stop supplying fuel to dealers. But if any official is found involved in issuing such order, we will taken him to task,” CAPD minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali told KNS.“The present fuel stock available with us can be consumed for nearly a month,” he added.But, the dealers said that present fuel stock in petrol pumps will lost for four days if we sell oil at the pace we are selling in these days. "But if consumers rush increases, then the supply will lost for a day only," Ahmad added. (KNS)