By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Within hours of the Government cracking down on them, ordering arrests and calling in the Army, the oil PSU executives gave in Friday evening and called off their three-day-old strike, which had crippled fuel supplies and affected power generation in the country.
“Everything will be normal by tomorrow (Saturday),” Oil Minister Murli Deora said giving relief to millions of commuters, who were starved of fuel due to a majority of petrol pumps and CNG fuelling stations going dry because of the agitation.
Army was called in to manage loading and dispatches to petrol pumps as the Government ordered arrests and dismissals of officers keeping off work. The move cracked the Oil Sector Officers Association, with Bharat Petroleum, the second largest retailer, walking out of the agitation instantly.
With 67 executives of ONGC and Indian Oil already terminated and more lists being drawn, the other constituents of OSOA in bits and pieces withdrew from the agitation that had also delayed domestic and international flights.
“No-Stock” signboards at IOC’s over 12,000 petrol pumps irked Chairman Sarthak Behuria to send a list of officers to district authorities with instruction for arrest if they did not join duty.
OSOA was unhappy with the hike in salaries approved by the Government and brought key refineries and oil and gas fields to a grinding halt.
“While petrol pumps are likely to see normal supplies by tomorrow, it will take up to a week for the stalled refineries and fields to resume normal operations,” an official said.
CNG operations in Mumbai, which had also been crippled due to the strike yesterday, had started restoring even before the strike broke after Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan gave the striking officers time till 0800 hrs to resume gas supplies or face the music.