As fuel prices surge AIPDA president assures no billing/display issues at petrol pumps

Petrol and Diesel prices have increased for the 12th consecutive day. In many states including Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, petrol and diesel prices have reached near Rs 100 per litre. In some places, the fuel prices have gone beyond Rs 100. Petrol has become expensive by Rs 1.80 and diesel by 1.88 rupees in the last few days. Fuel prices hike has raised concerns about whether dealers stuck with old pumps would be able to display or charge the customers with three-digit values.

The branded or additive-laced petrol, which attracts higher taxes, had crossed the Rs 100-mark in some places and created difficulty for the small petrol pump dealers. At most petrol-diesel pumps in the country, 4 digits have been given in the dispensing machines. Now, when the price is more than Rs 100, this number has reached 5 digits. In such a situation, the dispensing machine at some petrol pump is not taking entry of more than Rs 99. Although 5 digit dispensing machines have been installed in many places. But, 4 digit machines are still in work in small cities and towns.

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What AIPDA  president explains?

All India Petroleum Dealers Association (AIPDA) president Ajay Bansal has said, "This is a very small issue. Most of the pumps in the country today are digital and there is no such concern with them at all. In some cases where old pumps are in operation, the new rates can be easily displayed and communicated with stickers. There are three separate displays on the pump for the current price per litre, the quantity of fuel being filled and the overall cost which the customer needs to pay. The third display was anyway capable of four digits so it does not make any difference." Ajay Bansal further added, "The government has turned us into tax collectors when we are actually only sellers of petrol and diesel. We face the anger of the consumers every day as the government does not get to face them, but we do. Also, we do not get any additional revenue from it as our dealer margins are static and not ad valorem. Instead, our costs go up as some oil always evaporates in the business and the more expensive it gets, the greater is that cost for us." [Sic.]

Petrol prices in Rajasthan

Rajasthan has the highest VAT rates on petroleum resources. Due to this effect, petrol in Ganganagar has reached 99.29 per litre and diesel at Rs 91.17 per litre. Petrol in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal reached Rs 99.82 per litre, however, ordinary petrol Rs 96.69 per litre and diesel prices reached Rs 87.20 per litre. In Delhi, petrol has reached 88.73 and diesel at 79.06 per litre. The premium petrol in Delhi is priced at Rs 91.56 and the premium diesel at Rs 82.35 per litre.

Petroleum companies on Sunday made petrol costlier by 29 paisa and diesel by 32 paise per liter. With that, retail prices of fuels have reached a new record level, including state-level taxes. Earlier this week, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Singh, on rising fuel prices, said, "I am sorry to say oil-rich countries are not looking into interest of consuming countries. They created an artificial price mechanism. This is pinching consuming countries."

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No billing issues at petrol pumps after fuel prices reach 3-digit value