Kolkata: As many as 3,200 petrol pumps have threatened to go for a strike on August 31 protesting against several issues including abnormal hike in fuel prices.
This comes at the time when the price of a cooking gas cylinder has increased by Rs 25. The price of a cooking gas cylinder in Kolkata has gone up to Rs 886. The strike has been called by the West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association. There are three basic issues. First of all, the hike in fuel prices led to a drop in sales. As a result petrol pump owners are suffering. Secondly, they demanded proper awareness among people by the oil companies about 10 per cent ethanol in petrol. They have called the strike demanding a hike in their commission. "We are going for "no purchase no sale" on August 31 as a mark of protest against abnormal hike in petrol prices and oil companies' indifferent attitude towards petrol pump owners," said Prasenjit Sen, Joint Secretary of West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association.
There has been a constant increase in the prices of petrol and diesel for nearly the past two months.