Petrol pumps halt purchasing petro products

Butwal, July 26 – Petrol pumps under the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Bhalwadi Office area have announced to stop purchasing petroleum products from today, in protest against the attack on petroleum entrepreneurs.

Petroleum workers had allegedly attacked the entrepreneurs during a dispute that took place between the two sides at the Bhalwari depot of the NOC on Thursday.

"We will have to resort to severe forms of protest if those involved in the incident are not punished and our security not guaranteed", said Western Region Petroleum Dealers Association, Rupandehi Chair Rajendra Gupta.

The two sides have been blaming one another after the Department of Standards and Metrology found some petrol pumps with low quantity of fuel in their storage tanks.

The entrepreneurs started checking the petroleum carrier trucks instead after some petrol pumps were shut down by the Department.

Some 500 truck drivers and their assistants had manhandled and threatened the petroleum entrepreneurs. They had to be rescued from the depot to safety by police.

Further investigation into the incident is underway while the regular monitoring in the petrol pumps will also continue, said Chief District Officer Bal Krishna Panthi.

 RSS