More petrol consumed than diesel since Aug 5

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 13

The continued lockdown, restrictions and communication blockade for the past 39 days has led to more consumption of petrol as compared to diesel as public transport has been off the roads since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.

No public transport, including inter-district buses, city transport buses and taxi cabs, have been plying since August 5 when the restrictions were enforced in Kashmir and Jammu divisions as precautionary measures to avoid any law and order situation. Even as the authorities relaxed restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC gradually from different areas effective on August 16, following Eid-ul Azha on August 12 and Independence Day, the lockdown continues in the Kashmir valley.

“We have more number of customers of private vehicles and two-wheelers as compared to buses, minibuses, Sumo vehicles,” said Bashir Ahmad at a filling station on the city outskirts. There are a few diesel vehicles (public transport inclusive) coming for filling fuel these days, he adds.

Officials at the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Kashmir, said even as the petroleum products were available in the retail market, enough stocks of the petroleum products were available with the department to meet any public demands. The stocks available include 37 lakh litres of petrol, 1.21 crore litres of diesel, 41 lakh litres of kerosene and 2.56 lakh LPG cylinders. The department also had enough stocks of rice and wheat (atta) in the Food Corporation of India godowns at different places in the Valley, the officials said.

In view of the situation developing prior to August 5 abrogation of Article 370, the distribution of over 80 per cent of the ration for August was covered during the first four days.