Panaji: Long queues were witnessed near
petrol pumps throughout Goa after Manohar Parrikar government slashed the petrol prices by Rs 11 since midnight.
The petrol pumps ran dry by afternoon owing to mammoth
rise in customers forcing the petroleum firms to send
additional tankers at various fuel stations.
The situation is expected to normalise by evening. The
state government has brought down 22 per cent VAT on petrol to
just 0.1 per cent pulling down the prices. A litre of petrol
now costs Rs 54.96 here as against Rs 65 per litre priced till
yesterday.
The vendors at the petrol stations stated that majority
of the people were topping up full tanks which drained the
stocks within hours of the opening of the station. Cars were
queuing on the road to get into the petrol station, causing a
problem for other road users.
There were serpentine queues of the two-wheelers too,
which had chocked the traffic further.
"There were queues even before we came here at 7 a m to
open the station. This was not expected. People should know
that the reduction in prices is not just a day-long
phenomenon. This should stop this panic-buying," the vendor
commented.
Goa Petrol Dealers Association President Paresh Joshi
said the scarcity of fuel was a temporary phenomenon.
"People were waiting for today to fill the petrol as it
would cost cheaper. Also several fuel stations had not
accepted the stock on Saturday as they will have to bear the
Value Added Tax (VAT) on it," he said.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had said he was ready to
abolish entire VAT on petrol but negligent 0.1 per cent is
retained to know the quantum of petrol sold in the state.
Money collected from 0.1 per cent VAT will also be
utilised to fund the monitoring mechanism on the borders to
ensure that there is no smuggling of the fuel to neighbouring
states.
The BJP in its manifesto for March 3 elections had
promised to slash the petrol prices. The assurance was
fulfilled in the state budget presented on April 26.
PTI
