PM demands firm action against oil strikes

With the country facing acute fuel shortage because of the strike by oil PSU officers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked Petroleum Minister Murli Deora to take firm action to deal with the crisis.

"The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Secretary have been instructed by the Prime Minister to take firm action," Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet, which was briefed on the situation this morning.

Chidambaram, who has been asked by the Prime Minister to head a committee to resolve the grievances of the oil PSU officers, said the Centre has advised state governments to take firm action.

"Firm action is being taken and will be taken," he added. The Crisis Management Group headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar took certain decisions to deal with the situation, he said.

"Those decisions have been communicated to the state governments as well as to other authorities and those decisions will be implemented," the Home Minister said without elaborating.

The Home Minister said the oil PSU officers should not "cripple" the economy and should be resorting to strike as the government has an open mind to address their grievances related to pay revisions.

While the strike entered the third day, with long queues at several petrol pumps, government was non-committal whether the situation could be brought under control immediately.

"I cannot promise there will not be shortage anywhere but every effort is being made to handle the crisis," Chidambaram said.

He, however, said HPCL was functioning normally, while BPCL was working 70 per cent till this morning and is "likely to improve". Chidambaram said officers of HPCL and largely of BPCL have realised that strike was not the way to go about pressing their demands.

He said he has been asked by the Prime Minister to look into their grievances. "I wish to keep an open mind, my appeal to them is I am willing to hold the first meeting even today. They must come to meet me.

"They must call off their strike. They must recognise the intolerable burden they are placing on the people of India. If LPG is not available, how will families cook food for their children? If diesel is not available how will cars, buses run?" he said.

Govt to run 15-20 lakh vehicles for supply of essential goods
Warning the striking truckers of more arrests under the Essential Services Maintenance Act, the government today said it plans to run 15-20 lakh vehicles in the next few days for uninterrupted supply of essential commodities.

The vehicles would be arranged by impounding trucks and allowing other private vehicles for transportation of commodities without permit. "We plan to run 15-20 lakh vehicles in the next few days for supply of essential commodities.

For this, trucks would be impounded and other private vehicles would be arranged," Transport Secretary Brahm Dutt told reporters here. He also said that a few truckers have been arrested under ESMA and more arrests would follow shortly.

For facilitating the movement of private vehicles, states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have already made relaxations in respect to timing for entry within city limits.

These vehicles can also ply without permits. Vehicles of striking truckers would also be seized and run by the government by engaging drivers. "Trucks would also be impounded for arranging 15-20 lakh vehicles.

District Magistrates have the power to take away vehicles under provisions of ESMA," Dutt said. Describing the stand of the truckers as "irresponsible", he said that he is in touch with the transporters but they are holding on to their demands.

Dutt also accused the transporters of un-cooperative attitude towards the implementation of the provisions of the Carriage by Road Act, 2007, which is in the interest of the common man.

Though the government has not made an assessment of the financial loss because of the strike, Dutt claimed that the strike has not had a significant impact so far.