Farmers, transporters join Petro Dealers on reduction in VAT on fuels

Joint memorandums submitted at district headquarters of Punjab

Chandigarh, December 17, 2018: Petrol Pump Dealers Association, Punjab ( PPDAP) along with farmers bodies, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) & Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), Transporters Unions & Industrialists on Monday submitted memorandum to DCs throughout Punjab seeking reduction in VAT on petrol and diesel to bring it at par with its capital city, Chandigarh and with neighborhood states.

Hundreds of farmers & Petrol Pump Dealers gathered in front of DC offices of state dharna in a protesting against higher fuel prices in Punjab due to higher VAT rates.

Paramjit Singh Doaba, President of PPDAP , Dr Manjit Singh, General Secretary & Ranjit Singh Gandhi, Treasurer along with core executive members submitted memorandum to Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal at Punjab Secretariat , Chandigarh.

Delegation in Ludhiana was led by Harinder Singh Lakhowal from BKU, Punjab, Ashok Sachdeva, Ashok Jain, Kamal Sharma and other members from PPDAP, Ludhiana Charan Singh Lohara, President of Transport Body, Bawa Jain from Federation of Industries and Businesses, Ludhiana.

In Jalandhar, Monty Sehgal Spokesperson of PPDAP, Sukhmohan Sehgal and members of farmer Unions and PPDAP, Jalandhar submitted the memorandum.

In Nabha, Balbir Singh Rajewal , President of BKU, along with PPDAP executive members including Ashwinder Singh Mongia, Rajesh Khurana and others gave the memorandum.

At Ferozepur, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, from BKU Lakowal and KS Nagpal with other farmer leaders and PPDAP members submitted the memorandum.

In Patiala, the memorandum was submitted by Rajesh Khurana, Parampreet Josan, Harbhajan Singh with farmer leaders and PPDAP members.

In Hoshiarpur led by Navneet Kumar, Joint Secretary, PPDAP and Aman Multani along with farmer leaders and members of PPDAP submitted the Memorandum.

In Bathinda the memorandum was submitted by Gurdeep Khurana, and Subhash Aggarwal with farmer leaders and other PPDAP members.

The memorandums were also submitted at Amritsar , Pathankot, Gurdaspur , Fatehgarh Sahib, Mansa, Sangrur, Ropar, Moga, ,Tarn Taran , Bathinda and Barnala by farmer leaders and PPDAP members.

Interestingly with Lok Sabha elections approaching in 2019, PPDAP now with the support of farmers and transporters will put more pressure on the government.

We will continue our protest till our demands are not fully fill, said Paramjit Singh Doaba.

Due to wrong policies, Punjab government is losing revenue to neighborhood states. Petrol pumps in Punjab are operating on just 40% of their volumetric capabilities whereas pumps in the border districts are selling just 10% of their total potential, said Doaba.

The petrol pumps located in districts bordering neighbouring states of Punjab and on highways leading to or originating from neighbouring states, are the worst affected, rued Monty Sehgal.