LUDHIANA: Like ever year long queues of farmer and truck drivers are seen in front of filling stations for the collection of at the farmers complain severe shortage of diesel in Punjab.
Farmers have been camping in front of filling stations with their tractors for many days to get diesel.
During a tour of the district farmers said that they needed diesel to ready the land for paddy transplantation. They have to do rauni” for raising paddy nursery for further transplantation.
Gurdial Singh a farmer of Chak Kalan village said at Mullanpur that he had been waiting for the past Six days to get diesel another farmer Sher Singh of Dakha said that he was waiting for the past three days. There were about 100 tractor trailers parked outside the petrol station besides several tricks and empty jerry Cans lying there.
The petrol station owner had up steel shutters around the diesel sale points.
The man on duty at the petrol Pump said that he had received 11:56 lakh liters of diesel so far Out Of 3.12 lakh liters of the monthly quota
Farmers alleged that they were eaten up by the police and pushed away from the petrol station as the Chief Minister Beant Singh was to pass that way for Ludhiana
A number of them were sitting in a dharna at the petrol station There Was along queue of farmers in front of the Petrol station near Aggar Nagar in Ludhiana. The farmers complained that they were getting only 20 liters to 50 liters of diesel and had to visit the petrol pump daily.
The salesman at the petrol pump claimed that there was no Shortage of diesel as he was getting 12000 liters of diesel daily except on Sundays. He was getting the supply from Jalandhar depot.
The officials alleged that the farmers are indulging in “panic buying” and were hoarding diesel.
However the farmers deny this the farmers also allege that kerosene and black mobil oil were being used to adulterate diesel sold. It was harmful for the machinery
Reports of diesel shortage from Ferozepore Faridkot Sangrurand Jalandhar districts were also received. As a matter of fact all filling stations are witnessing a lot of rush of the farmers.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union has alleged that the shortage has been created by the Government in order to “punish” the farmers for not selling wheat to the official agencies
Jagdev Singh Talwandi president Akali Dal (Talwandi) has also made a similar charge and asked the state governments to ensure an adequate supply of diesel available to the farmers for paddy transplantation.
Talwandi said that the government should also ensure uninterrupted supply of power to the farmers.
The Deputy Commissioner S.S.Channy reviewed the diesel supply position in the district.
According to Channy as many as 14972 kilo liters of diesel was received in the district in the month of April.
He said there was some problem in the supply of diesel recently but now the situation had started improving with the arrival of more diesel supplies
He advised the farmers not to make panic buying of diesel as normal supply would be maintained.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 12, 1992
