Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai: Beginning May 14, fuel outlets in eight states, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu, will be shut every Sunday following prime minister Narendra Modi's call to conserve oil, a fuel pump owners' body said here Tuesday.
"We had planned to shut our outlets on Sundays a few years back. But oil marketing companies had then requested us to reconsider our decision. Now we have decided to shut the outlets on Sundays," said Suresh Kumar, an executive committee member of the consortium of Indian petroleum dealers.
He said the association's decision was made in view of the prime minister's call during his recent 'Mann ki baat' program to conserve oil to save the environment.
Kumar, also the vice-president of Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association, said nearly 20,000 outlets in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Haryana would be shut for 24 hours on Sundays, starting May 14.
"In Tamil Nadu, we expect a business loss of Rs 150 crore if we do not operate on a Sunday. But we have been seeing a decline in sales on Sundays by up to 40 percent," he said.
Asked if the association's decision was supported by the OMCs, he said, "We will communicate our decision to them shortly."
Kumar said the fuel outlets which normally have about 15 staff each would have one staff member on the holidays to provide fuel if there was an emergency situation.
On the issue of OMCs hiking the margins to petroleum outlets, he said the association was discussing it and would soon make an announcement in this regard.
"That struggle is going on. We are meeting our association members shortly. We will announce our decision soon," he said.
2,000 fuel bunks in Kerala to down shutters
Around 2,000 retail fuel outlets of various oil companies, including private players, in Kerala are set to be affected by the decision. Kerala petroleum traders do not appear to be pleased about reports that they have to close their fuel retail outlets on all Sundays, starting from May 14.
M. Radhakrishnan, secretary of Kerala State Federation of Petroleum Traders, said the decision has been conveyed to members and it was a mixed reaction.
"We see this as a 50 percent benefit for the country and a 50 percent benefit for us. Through the shutting down of our retail outlets on Sundays we will get a free day besides the environment will also benefit as fewer vehicles will ply on the road. We have been requesting the oil companies to supply us good quality fuel, and till now there has been no answer to our demand, especially on the high rate of evaporation. So if we close down for a day, there is a gain for us too," Radhakrishnan said, and added that they will meet again to take the final call.
However, former president of the traders, Alex Valakallil, said the idea of closing down every Sunday is not feasible.
"This has been shot down each time it has come up in the past as it is not a feasible idea, and like in the past if it comes up again, it is going to be shot down. We have been hearing that a proposal is likely to come up shortly as there are reports that it has been already mooted. This is not a practical solution for anything," said Valakallil.
Kerala is one of the seven states and Puducherry that figure in the new list that has been released, where this new norm is to be implemented.