By Samachar Vishesh News
Chandigah 02nd
September:- A senior citizen and owner of two
petrol pumps in Mohali – Seventy Five Year Old G S Chawla, has written a letter
to Governor, Punjab and Administrator UT, asking for ‘permission to commit
suicide’ after all his efforts to get fuel rate parity between Chandigarh,
Mohali and Panchkula failed due to the adamant attitude of Chandigarh
Administration. The upwards non revision of VAT by Chandigarh Administration,
which was to be done, has in the last 22 months, resulted in robbing of 80 per
cent business of G S Chawla, as his pumps are situated at zero distance from
Chandigarh. Besides Chawla's pumps,petrol pumps in Mohali and Panchkula have
also lost major business because of Chandigarh pumps.
A complaint against Chandigarh
Administration in which the seeking of ‘permission to commit suicide’ is
reiterated, has also been sent by Chawla to President of India, Prime Minister,
Home Minister, Chief Justice of India, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High
Court, CM Punjab, FM Punjab, FM Haryana and a host of other important central
and states government functionaries.
G S Chawla held a press
conference to bring out in open the unfair practice of lower diesel and petrol
rates at petrol pumps in Chandigarh. Chawla explained the collusion between
Chandigarh Administration and Chandigarh’s petrol pump owners by showing videos
and photographs of the impact of the pricinganomaly, which has made Petrol
cheaper by Rs 5 in Chandigarh and diesel by Rs 3 per litre. G S Chawla said
that the area of tricity is spread over just 10* 10 Kms. There is something
very fishy going on as billboards and hoardings are illegal in Chandigarh but
petrol pumps have erected many which talk about lower fuel rates in Chandigarh
and higher in Punjab. How have these been allowed. He said that even in Delhi
NCR there is a fuel rate differential of just Rs +/- 25 paisa , despite the
area being heavily populated at 5 crores and comprising of three states –
Delhi, Haryana and UP.
G S Chawla said that the
Chandigarh administration had lowered VAT twice after issuance of notifications
by central government due to increase in crude prices. Once it was done on Oct
17, 2017 when a reduction of Rs 2.5 on both diesel and petrol was effected then
again on Oct 4, 2018, Rs 1.40 was reduced on both diesel and petrol. Though all
other states have gone back to same rates once crude prices stabilized,
Chandigarh in a well thought out strategy aimed at looting business of Mohali
and Panckula is still continuing with the same rates.
G S Chawla further said that the
result of this anomalous pricing is that there are long queues of people with
their vehicles wanting to get their tanks refueled at lower rates, which is
adding to traffic woes, increased pollution in Chandigarh etc. Chandigarh
Administration instead of providing a level playing field and correcting the
price anomaly by increasing VAT and going back to original rates , which is the
system across India, is mulling entry tax into Chandigarh, which is a
retrograde and impractical mechanism. On one hand they are alluring people to
get fuel filled and on the other they are levying entry tax.
G S Chawla said that Chandigarh
Administration in collusion with some city petrol pumps, in a brazen and
unethical manner, is destroying his business. He said that he along-with a
delegation of Petrol Pump Dealers of Mohali & Panchkula under aegis of
PPDAP (Petrol Pump Dealers Association Punjab) had met Advisor UT on April 5,
2019 and advisor agreed to bring VAT at par with Punjab and Haryana
immediately after General elections but nothing has been done. Chawla
said, the growth of Chandigarh Petrol Pumps Business in the past 2 years
has been more than 300% as compared to average National Growth of 6% per annum.
It is noteworthy that GS Chawla's
pumps used to be among the 'highest selling' petrol pumps of India but
now his business is in ruins, due to a Chandigarh Administration policy , which
aims at monopolizing fuel trade. Chawla therefore has been left with no other
option but to announce his decision to ask for 'permission to commit suicide’,
so that he is not branded a criminal, when he takes the extreme step.
G S Chawla summed up that he wants the Home Minister who is in charge of
affairs of Union territories to take note of this wrong business practice under
the nose of Chandigarh Administration and provide a level playing field by
removing the pricing anomaly. The Home Minster is chairing an important meeting
of senior North Indian state government functionaries on Sep 3; he should correct
the anomaly during the meet.
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