Petrol and diesel will be unavailable at thousands of petrol pumps in Rajasthan today, October 1. Following a call by the Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association in Jaipur, petrol pump operators across the state have initiated a strike from 6 AM and will last till 6 PM.
The association has cautioned that if their demands aren’t met, all petrol pump operators in Rajasthan will go on an indefinite strike starting from October 2. During this period, no pump operator will purchase or sell petrol and diesel.
On Saturday, 30th September, between 8 PM and 10 PM, all fuel pump operators in Rajasthan halted the sale and supply of petrol and diesel, causing significant inconvenience to the public.
Earlier in September, Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas engaged with officials from the Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association, agreeing to address their demands and requesting a 10-day study by a high-level committee. However, when the response failed to materialise even after the stipulated time, the strike was called.
Rajendra Singh Bhati, president of the Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association, said, “The government had said that it would take steps to resolve the increasing VAT on petrol and diesel within 10 days. Even after 13 days, no solution has been found. Upset by this, we will observe a strike from 6 AM to 6 PM on October 1. If no action is taken even after this, then we will go on an indefinite strike from October 2.”
The Treasurer of the Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association said, “Approximately 7,000 fuel pumps will remain non-operational statewide, with around 100 cocoa pumps being an exception. In Jaipur, the sale of petrol and diesel will persist at seven cocoa pumps. If the government does not resolve the situation, the entire state’s pumps will embark on an indefinite strike starting from 6 AM on October 2. This strike will significantly impact daily sales, including approximately 15,231 kiloliters of diesel and 68,859 kiloliters of petrol. Consequently, the government is anticipated to incur a daily revenue loss of approximately Rs 44 crore.”
The VAT on petrol and diesel in Rajasthan is notably higher than in neighbouring states. For instance, petrol costs around Rs 14 more per litre in Sri Ganganagar compared to Punjab, and the diesel price difference is Rs 10 per litre compared to Punjab. This has not only burdened the general public but also led to substantial losses for pump operators.
During negotiations, Minister Khachariyawas agreed to three demands, which included bringing petrol and diesel under the GST, raising the commission for petrol pump operators, and establishing paper depots in Hanumangarh and Ganganagar. However, the government failed to respond within the stipulated time.
It’s noteworthy that petrol and diesel prices in Rajasthan are significantly higher than those in its neighbouring states such as Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
