Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Petroleum dealers in Assam are staging a 24-hour strike on November 12. They call it a No Purchase, No Sale protest. The action starts at 6 am on November 12 and ends at 6 am on November 13. Dealers claim oil marketing companies, specifically Indian Oil Corporation, engage in financial harassment and high-handedness. The North East India Petroleum Dealers Association says this is just the start. They plan an indefinite shutdown beginning November 23 if their demands go unmet.
Dealers report that oil companies disrupt fuel supplies without offering a chance to defend against accusations. They argue these companies are overstepping their legal bounds. NEIPDA general secretary Arup Goswami stated: "The companies were not law-enforcement agencies and must operate within the framework of applicable laws and regulations."
The association lists several grievances. They cite cancelled tank-truck transportation deals and forced sales of lubricants. Dealers also point to blocked fuel-loading facilities and mandatory point-of-sale machine installations. They claim companies make unilateral deductions from SAP accounts while delaying reimbursements for expenses like Legal Metrology Department fees. The strike could cripple transport and commerce across the state. The dealers now demand a fair process before companies take any punitive action that hurts their fuel supply.
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