Many motorists are complaining that fuel outlets of certain oil companies were going dry for the past week or so in the outskirts of the city and also in other parts of the State. This, dealers said, was due to two reasons — dealers unable to pay in advance for fuel and alleged rationing by companies because of high fuel prices.
“The issue mainly pertains to outlets that stock fuel from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). These are not outlets on main roads but those in far flung areas and the smaller dealers. Large volume dealers have been unaffected by this. While the supply of diesel has been affected, dealers are being asked to opt for the premium varieties of petrol. Oil companies are also pushing dealers to take more of petrol and less of diesel,” explained an office-bearer in one of the dealers’ associations.
P. Nandagopal, who went on a trip to the southern districts a couple of days ago, said some outlets did not have diesel. “During my journey, since bunks had ropes tied across the entrance, I had to run on reserve until I found a bunk that had diesel,” he said.
