Reliance fuel dealers on warpath in Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR - Reliance petrol pump dealers in Gujarat are on the warpath, seeking a refund of their investments because of losses and have threatened to take to the streets if their demands are not met, a spokesperson of the Gujarat Reliance Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association said Monday.

It is imperative that the company refund their investments made in opening retail outlets as four years of continuous losses have drained them financially, the spokesperson said.

“We are in no position to take anymore of it,” said association member Varun Patel after a meeting of the body.

Dealer owners and dealer operated (DODO) outlets in the state passed a resolution demanding termination of land lease and dealership agreements and buying equipment installed at the outlet at current prices.

“In case RIL wants to run these outlets themselves they should pay market rent to the landowners,” Patel added.

According to him, when the association first launched a stir two months ago they were given assurance by RIL group president Parimal Nathwani that their demands would be looked into but nothing had come out of it so far.”We are left with no option but to restart our agitation and intensify it,” he said.

Reliance and Essar had set up a countrywide chain of retail fuel outlets but shut them subsequently in view of the variation between their prices and those of government owned companies.