Fuel stations dry up as strike continues

New Delhi: Most petrol pumps went "dry" yesterday in the national capital, as a crippling strike by oil sector employees entered its second day, cutting supplies to fuel stations.

The Oil Sector Officers' Association (OSOA), an umbrella body of 45,000 employees in the public oil sector companies, called for the strike to force the government to give them wage hikes.

At a Connaught Place petrol pump, motorists entered the station only to be told that there was no petrol and diesel stock. "We went dry yesterday (Wednesday) night and no supplies have arrived so far," said an employee of the station, which is affiliated to the Bharat Petroleum Corporation.

He said only 11,000 litres of fuel had been sold daily since the strike started.

It was a similar situation at a petrol pump on the Kapashera border.

"We went dry since 4 pm yesterday," said Sunil Yadav, manager at the Rajasthan Highway Service Station. Yadav said he has been trying to contact his liaison officers in Indian Oil Corporation, but that their phones had been switched off.

"The Indian Oil depot at Bijwasan was open for about an hour, but it basically supplied to their company-run outlets," he said.

At another outlet in the Rohini neighbourhood, manager Mahavir Jain said his stocks were set to dry out last night.

"All the three pumps nearby have gone dry and we have a demand which is three to four times the normal. I am afraid that our stocks will end by evening, and the next supply is doubtful," Jain said yesterday. But Hindustan Petroleum Corporation outlets, where employees did not join the industrial action, have been reaping the benefit with higher sales.

"I thought that due to a holiday (on account of the Muharram festival), we would have slow sales, as we do on Sunday. But the demand has almost doubled. People must have heard that our pump is running," said Satish Kumar, the manager at a petrol pump in Bhikaji Cama.

Commitments

Meanwhile, the government and oil sector officials' associations are sticking to their respective positions.

The government has argued that the officers should have faith in the committee, chaired by the Home Minister P. Chidambaram, which is looking into their grievances.

On the other hand, association leaders have stated that the government has made previous commitments on this issue, which it has failed to fulfil.

Efforts to reach common ground on Wednesday night failed after OSOA leaders failed to reach the venue. According to sources, OSOA president Amit Kumar had gone underground after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The Delhi High Court restrained the strike call, and state governments like Delhi and Assam have invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act.

Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested two OSOA leaders, while companies have suspended several striking workers.

Meanwhile, gas supplies are severely hit in the western region, where the ONGC's facilities have been shut down.

Consequently, GAIL India has not been able to process gas and distribute it to its industrial consumers, of which the main ones are fertiliser and power plants.