Ludhiana petrol pump dealers protest user fee increase

Petrol pump dealers in Ludhiana are upset about a sharp increase in user fees set by the public works department (PWD). The fees have gone up from ₹75 per year to between ₹3,000 and ₹10,000 per year, depending on the size and location of the petrol pumps. This change has raised concerns among dealers, who feel it is unfair and too costly for their businesses. The dealers argue that oil marketing companies (OMCs) like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum should be responsible for these fees. They point out that OMCs handle the necessary approvals and agreements for petrol pump locations, meaning dealers should not have to pay these high fees directly. Manjeet Singh, the general secretary of the Petrol Pump Dealers Association, explained that when they apply for a dealership, they pay a license fee to the OMCs, not to the PWD. The petrol pump dealers have questioned why they should be financially burdened with the user fees when OMCs already collect various charges during the licensing process. Some dealers expressed that the new fees could exceed their annual profits, making it nearly impossible to run their businesses sustainably. Although the PWD's XEN Pradeep stated that the fee increase was set by the state government, dealers are urging officials to hold OMCs accountable for these payments. During a recent meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, they repeated their call for better regulations and support from the state government. They proposed establishing a centralized system to collect fees from OMCs, ensuring that government agencies work together instead of placing undue pressure on individual dealers.