Monday, April 18 2005 10:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Petrol pumps across the country today (Apr 18, 2005) remained closed as the owners went on a day-long strike demanding an increase in commission on sale of petrol and diesel.

"We are on a day-long strike today. Petrol pumps all over the country shut operations at midnight. This is a 24-hour strike. We will intensify the agitation if our demands are not met," Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT) President Ashok Badhwar told sources in New Delhi.

However, company-owned-company-operated outlets, constituting nearly 20 per cent of over 25,000 petrol stations in the country, remained unaffected.

FAIPT is demanding an increase in dealer commission to five per cent from 1.59 per cent (petrol) and 1.27 per cent (diesel).

FAIPT is also demanding uniform pricing of petroleum products all over the country and quality checking equipments at petrol pumps to enable monitoring the quality of products delivered by oil companies at the pumps.