PTAO warns to stop fuel supply

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Petrol Tanker Owners Association on Friday has warned the government to stop the supply of petroleum products in the Union Territory if their demands are not met at the earliest.
Addressing a press conference here, President of J&K Petrol Tanker Owners Association, Anan Sharma, who has been re-elected as association head, said that if the government's indifferent attitude towards them continues, they will be forced to adopt an agitational path.
He said that a memorandum of demands was also submitted to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha and if they are not addressed in next few days, they will be forced to shut tankers service and takers to the streets.
Sharma said that due to the cost of petrol and diesel in Jammu and Kashmir as compared to the neighbouring Punjab, the government departments are also buying the fuel from Punjab instead of buying it locally.
“All the agencies engaged in construction works are getting petroleum products from Punjab and even the Railway and Airport Authority instead of getting old from the UT, are getting it from Punjab,” he alleged.
“Ethanol mix petrol is not used in Ladakh but in Jammu, all filling stations are being supplied the ethanol mix petrol and we demand that in J&K too, without ethanol, petrol should be supplied,” said the association head.
“We are suffering lots of losses due to which they are unable to pay monthly installments to the banks,” said Sharma addingthat if the government does not pay attention to them, they will be forced to come on the roads and shut down tankers.