Fuel stations out of stock as no end in sight to oil strike, prices soar as supply is hit and truckers remain unrelenting; only good news: Sector-26 market traders have ended their protest

With transporters, traders and executives of oil companies stayed away from work to have their demands met by the authorities, normal life was thrown out of gear in Chandigarh on Thursday.

Long queues could be seen at petrol pumps throughout the day. With no word on when the strike will end, panicked residents queued up to get the tanks of their vehicles filled. As a result, most pumps in the tricity ran out of fuel and unruly scenes witnessed with the residents fighting over the precious last drops.

The transporters’ strike saw disruption of traffic on the Madhya Marg and a tussle among the transporters. Those on strike tried to stop the trucks that did not join their protest. There seems to be no immediate end to the strike in sight.

The grain market and vegetable market in Sector 26, meanwhile, remained shut for the second consecutive day. No trading took place and fresh stock was not allowed to enter the market or sold. Later in the evening, a decision was taken for the removal of the police checkposts from the markets, which was the issue that had instigated the strike. The markets will function from Friday.

Petrol pumps run dry

The nationwide indefinite strike called by the officers of the public sector undertakings, demanding an increase in their wages, has badly hit the supply of petroleum products to the tricity. Almost all petrol pumps ran completely dry on Thursday, the second day of the strike.

... contd.