Fuel traders warn that a manufactured shortage of high-speed diesel is affecting petrol pumps nationwide, calling on the government to act before conditions deteriorate, The News reported on Saturday.
In a letter to the chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), the Petrol Pump Dealers Association said oil marketing companies (OMCs) have been limiting diesel supplies for the past week.
According to the dealers, some companies are delivering very small amounts, while others are not supplying fuel at all. Because of this, many pumps are running dry and are unable to serve customers.
Dealers say they place orders that later get cancelled, and fuel trucks are left waiting for hours without being loaded. They believe the shortage is not natural but artificial, created by companies ahead of a possible increase in fuel prices expected later this month.
The association said the supply cuts are so severe that stations are "hardly able to meet the public's needs". They have asked Ogra to direct OMCs to provide diesel based on each pump’s regular sales so that stations can operate normally again.
The letter, sent on November 14 by the association's vice chairman, was also shared with senior officials, including the petroleum minister, the petroleum secretary, the director general oil, and the secretary of the Oil Companies Advisory Council.
It may be noted that a fuel price update is expected at midnight today.
The government jacked up the fuel prices for the outgoing fortnight, effective from November 1, following recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the relevant ministries.
The petrol price was increased by Rs2.43 per litre and set at Rs265.45 per litre till tonight, while the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) was also increased by Rs3.02 to Rs278.44 per litre, the Finance Division said in a notification based on the authority’s last review.