Pune: Petroleum Dealers and Transporters to Launch Indefinite Agitation From 15th October

Pune, 10th October 2024: The Petrol Dealers Association of Pune, comprising 900 dealers and transporters, has announced an indefinite agitation starting from 15th October 2024. The protest involves halting the dispatch of fuel tankers for loading at terminals due to unresolved issues with oil companies over unfair tender practices and rampant fuel thefts during transportation.

The association has raised multiple concerns that have been repeatedly ignored by the oil companies and authorities, despite several representations.

Key Reasons for the Agitation:

1. Unfair Tender Practices:
Oil companies have floated tenders at unviable rates, pressuring dealers to sign blank agreements. Many transporters, forced to accept these low rates, have been involved in thefts—65% of whom have been caught by police. The association claims this is a result of an unfair system that puts their survival at risk.

2. Unreasonable Rate Bands:
Oil companies are offering rate bands without consulting stakeholders, disregarding essential safety protocols for petroleum transportation, which puts public safety at risk.

3. Neglect of Theft Concerns:
The association’s repeated requests to address fuel thefts have been ignored. Over 10 theft cases have been reported in the past two years, with the most recent incident prompting Pune police to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) just a month ago.

4. System Failures in E-Locking and Vehicle Tracking:
Despite large investments in theft-proof systems like e-locking and vehicle tracking, thefts continue, highlighting negligence by company officers responsible for monitoring these systems. Police intervention has become necessary to ensure public safety.

5. Lack of Officer Accountability:
Company officers involved in monitoring these systems, who are allegedly aiding and abetting thefts, remain unpunished. The association believes these officers play a significant role in compromising the safety of transporting explosive substances like petrol and diesel.

Dhruv Ruparel, President of the Petrol Dealers Association Pune, emphasized, “We have been trying to resolve these issues for years, but our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. The safety of the public and the transporters is at risk, and we can no longer operate under such unfair conditions. The oil companies must address these problems immediately.”

Demands from the Agitation:

1. Cancellation of Existing Tenders:
With 65-70% of L1 bidders already implicated in thefts, the association demands the cancellation of current tenders and the publication of new ones with fair, viable rates to ensure safe fuel transportation.

2. Suspension and Investigation of Complicit Officers:
The association calls for the suspension and investigation of oil company officers involved in these thefts. They urge police to investigate the collusion between these officers and theft perpetrators.

The Petrol Dealers Association has already informed the Ministry of Petroleum, local administration, and oil companies about the planned agitation. They have stressed that, from 15th October, it will be the responsibility of the oil companies to ensure the timely and proper delivery of petrol and diesel to fuel pumps, in order to avoid public inconvenience.