The Telangana Petroleum Dealers Association has given the Union government a 10-day deadline to address their demands. Dealers from HP, IOC, and BP have been asking for higher commissions on fuel sales for seven years. If their demands are not met before the deadline, they will only keep their fuel outlets open for 12 hours a day.
Indian Oil Corporation Dealers state secretary Anil mentioned that the Apurva Chandra Committee recommended increasing dealer commissions and reviewing the issue every six months. Dealers have faced financial crises during the pandemic and demonetization. The maintenance of petrol pumps, providing free air and water, paying salaries on time, and ensuring a certain dress code for workers have made running filling stations costly.
Despite the rising costs, dealer commissions have remained the same even as fuel prices have increased from Rs 70 to Rs 107 per liter over seven years. The association leader explained that every station keeps large stocks of petrol and diesel, and cutting fuel prices would lead to losses for dealers. In Telangana, 3,800 petrol pumps are in operation, with many facing losses due to increased competition and reduced sales in some areas.
