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U-turn: Moily says not shutting petrol pumps at night
Tribune News Service

We have already made it very clear it is not our idea. It is an idea which is coming from public and others. We have not taken any decision (on those suggestions). No decision will be taken to keep petrol pumps dry in any part of the country.
— M Veerappa Moily, Oil Minister

New Delhi, September 2
The Petroleum Ministry today clarified that there is no proposal under consideration of the government to allow sale of petroleum products from the retail outlets only during certain hours.

In a statement, the ministry has denied the media reports in this regard which had stated that petrol pumps may be ordered to shut operations between 8 pm and 8 am.

Under fire from all quarters on the proposal to shut petrol pumps at night, Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily on Monday said the government is not considering any such move to taper fuel demand.

There was criticism of the move as implementation of such a proposal would amounting to rationing and create scarcity, leading consumers to stock up in advance.

“We have already made it very clear it is not our idea. It is an idea which is coming from public and others. We have not taken any decision (on those suggestions). No decision will be taken to keep petrol pumps dry in any part of the country,” he said.

There were reports that shutting petrol pumps from 8 pm to 8 am was an idea mooted ahead of the ministry’s plan 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. “I have not mooted this proposal (to shut petrol pumps) at all,” he said.

Moily said he wants to make the people aware that the country imports 80 per cent of its oil needs and fuel should be conserved because the country cannot afford to keep shelling out $170 billion year after year. “We are coming with a mega conservation campaign, which will be launched on September 16. Before that, we are considering ideas about how this can be done”, he said. BJP attacked the proposal saying it was tantamount to imposing economic emergency on the people. “We are toying with the ideas (on conserving fuel) that have come to us. That doesn't mean we have accepted them or are enforcing shutdowns,” Moily said. Moily had written a detailed note to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on shaving off up to $ 20 billion of the $ 144.3 billion oil import bill of 2012-13.