Petrol bunks may be closed at night
The government is considering various proposals including shutting petrol pumps in the night to taper fuel demand as it looks at ways to cut the massive oil import bill, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily said on Sunday, drawing a sharp reaction from BJP.
- Plans fuel conservation campaign from Sept 16
- More oil from Iran on rupee payment to cut import bill
- As BJP lambasts govt, Moily says no decision taken
New Delhi (PTI): The government is considering various proposals including shutting petrol pumps in the night to taper fuel demand as it looks at ways to cut the massive oil import bill, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily said on Sunday, drawing a sharp reaction from BJP.
"There are various options and ideas that have been floated. Shutting petrol pumps during night is one of them. But we have not decided. It is just a proposal," Moily told PTI from Bangalore. His ministry plans to launch a massive fuel conservation drive from September 16 to cut fuel demand by 3 per cent and save an estimated Rs 16,000 crore or $2.5 billion in forex outgo. The oil import bill is being trimmed to bring down current account deficit.
Reacting sharply, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, "What is petrol pump? The government will close the country... Won't the people fill their car fuel tanks in the morning. This is a strange move by Moily".
Moily had written a detailed note to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on shaving off up to $20 billion out of the $144.293 billion oil import bill of 2012-13. The August 30 note does not talk of shutting petrol pumps in the night but details out conservation campaign as well as raising oil imports from Iran on rupee payment to cut import bill.
