Two-day petrol pump strike scheduled to begin today in Assam, deferred

The petrol pump strike in parts of Assam, scheduled to begin on Saturday morning, was deferred, a leader of their association said.

The North East India Petroleum Dealers' Association (Greater Guwahati Unit) had called for 'no purchase no sale' from 5 am on Saturday till 5 am on Monday over a host of demands.

Among their demands was the revision of the dealers' commission, which has been pending since 2017.

"Following the intervention of the government, we have decided to defer the strike. In the meantime, we will hold further talks with the oil companies on resolving our issues," the leader said.

The announcement came hours after the state government brought petroleum dealers and retailers under the Essential Services Maintenance (Assam) Act or ESMA, which prohibits strikes.