Around 2,000 Rajasthan petrol pumps go dry as companies restrict supply

A petrol and diesel crisis has hit Rajasthan hard with around 2,000 petrol pumps across the state, including 100 in Jaipur, have gone dry.

According to petroleum dealers, BPCL and HPCL have restricted the fuel supply and are providing only 33 per cent oil of the total demand which is triggering the fuel crisis.

Private oil companies like Reliance and Essar have already stopped the sales at their pumps.

Eventually the load has come on the petrol pumps of other oil companies.

Rajasthan Petrol Dealers Association President Sunit Bagai said that the first major reason for this shortage is the closure of petrol pumps of Reliance and Essar for almost two weeks. The market share of both these companies in Rajasthan is about 15 per cent and now when their pumps are closed, their burden has come on the petrol pumps of other companies.

The second reason is that the supply is being reduced by BPCL and HPCL. According to Bagai, only Indian Oil Company is giving the entire supply.

He said that one reason for this crisis is that the losses being incurred by the petroleum companies are increasing continuously due to which two major players have limited the supplies.

Officials said that the situation prevailing in Rajasthan right now is not expected to improve for the next three-four days. The reason for this is that even if the oil company will increase the supply from now on, even then the supply will be able to reach the entire state properly in two-three days only.

Due to this shortage, while the common man is troubled, important segments like agriculture and industrial production are also being affected.

Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association has sent a letter to Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, complaining about lack of supplies.

Bagai said that the prices of crude oil have increased continuously in the international market. The rate of crude has gone up to $120 per barrel. A few days ago, its all-time high price was $121.28. The government companies in this proportion are not able to increase oil prices. Meanwhile, to curb inflation, the government has stabilised prices for two months.

--IANS

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