Petrol pumps go dry in Chandigarh

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Jatin Prasad, today informed the Lok Sabha that the 2,263 petrol pumps would be set up during the current financial year by the Indian Oil, the Bharat Petroleum and the Hindustan Petroleum. Prasad told the members that at present Indian Oil Corp (IOC) the largest number of petrol pumps at 18,140 while the Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) has 8,539 and the Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) has 8,389 petrol pumps in the country.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) Friday clarified that there was no shortage of compressed natural gas (CNG) and it had run 100 more buses than usual. 'There is no shortage of CNG supply for our buses.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Taking a tough stance against the striking officers of public sector oil companies, the government Friday said the army could be called in to tackle the crisis and said talks were possible but the initiative had to be taken by the strikers. In some places, the army will start loading and unloading fuel later Friday afternoon.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Talks between Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and representatives of the agitating employees of public sector oil companies ended late Thursday night without any positive result. Deora met the leaders of the Oil Sector Officers Association (OSOA), representing 45,000 public sector oil employees, at the Indian Oil office in Noida.

January 8th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - With the officials of public sector oil firms starting the third day of their strike for higher wages, Kerala Friday saw a supply crunch as long winding queues were seen in a few petrol pumps while many went dry. 'Close to 80 percent of the nearly 2,000 petrol pumps in the state are dry,' president of Kerala State Federation of Petroleum Traders Alex Valakalil told IANS.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Chaos took over the capital's roads Friday morning, with serpentine queues outside the few petrol pumps that had not run dry spilling over on to roads and creating major traffic snarls that forced every motorist to waste more fuel. With no end in sight to the strike by officials in public sector oil companies for more pay and by truck operators for cheaper diesel and tyres, panicky residents scrambled to stock up on fuel and vegetables.

January 8th, 2009 LUCKNOW - A majority of petrol pumps across Uttar Pradesh, including in major cities like Lucknow, Varanasi, Allahabad and Kanpur, went dry Friday afternoon, as the ongoing strike by officers of public sector oil firms entered the third day. 'We have received information that nearly 85 percent petrol pumps in Aligarh, Varanasi and Meerut have been closed while 70 percent of petrol and diesel outlets in Kanpur, Agra, Lucknow and Allahabad are not providing fuel supplies,' UP Petrol Dealer Traders' Association (UPDTA) V.N.

January 8th, 2009 BHOPAL - With most petrol pumps running out of stock across India due to the ongoing strike by employees of public sector oil companies, Madhya Pradesh Friday woke up to panic buying of the fuel. 'As the oil marketing companies' executives from grade A to the level of deputy general managers have gone on strike, the supply chain has been virtually broken as the depots and sales departments have stopped functioning.

January 8th, 2009 RAIPUR - Blackmarketeers struck it rich in the Chhattisgarh capital Friday -- selling petrol for as much as Rs.80 a litre -- after dozens of petrol pumps went dry due to a strike by oil sector employees. After a majority of petrol pumps had 'Closed' signs hung outside, people were seen thronging the roadside to buy petrol.

January 8th, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government may start rationing petrol and diesel, a senior official said here Friday on day-three of the crippling oil sector officers' strike. 'We might consider rationing of petrol and diesel in the state if this panic situation prevails, people are procuring petrol or diesel more than actually required,' Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty told reporters.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Petroleum Minister Murli Deora held talks with leaders of the agitating employees of public sector oil companies late Thursday evening as petrol pumps across the nation began to run out of stocks on the second day of the strike. Deora met the leaders of the Oil Sector Officers Association, representing 45,000 PSU oil officers, at the Indian Oil office in Noida.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The petrol stock in the capital will be over by Friday evening, the head of the Federation of All India Petroleum Traders said late Friday morning. Sixty to seventy percent of petrol pumps have gone dry already as employees of public sector oil firms continue their strike.

January 7th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Nearly 2,000 oil sector employees struck work in Uttar Pradesh Thursday, the second day of the nationwide strike called by officers of public sector oil companies. Fuel supplies to major oil terminals and depots of Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp have been hit in many cities in the state, including Lucknow, Allahabad and Varanasi, traders said.

January 7th, 2009 KOLKATA - On Day Two of the nationwide indefinite strike by oil sector employees, many petrol pumps across West Bengal went dry, said an official here. S. Arunachalam, eastern regional secretary of Indian Oil Officers' Association, told IANS: 'Supply has got affected.

January 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Alarmed Delhi'ites Thursday made a beeline for petrol pumps to tank up their vehicles as most petrol pumps went 'dry' on the second day of a strike by oil sector employees demanding higher wages. Traffic jams were witnessed at several places in the national capital Thursday evening as people queued up with their vehicles at retail petrol vends fearing they would not get fuel on Friday.