Enough Stock Of Fuel, LPG In Valley: Div Com Kashmir
Petrol Pumps See Huge Rush
Suhail Khan
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Jan 2: The ongoing nationwide strike has led to a fuel crisis in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with several fuel stations shutting down.
Truck and bus drivers are carrying out strikes in different parts of India to oppose the provision of Rs 7 lakh penalty and a 10-year jail term for hit-and-run cases under the newly passed law Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Reports reaching Kashmir Despatch said transporters in various districts of the Jammu region staged protests, demanding a rollback of the new law.
The oil tanker drivers in Jammu city specifically protested at Narwal Transport-Nagar, arguing that the law should be applied to every citizen and not just drivers of commercial vehicles.
Anand Sharma, president of the All J&K Petrol Tanker Owners’ Association and the J&K Fuel Station Owners’ Association, said over 1,500 oil tankers have been on strike since Monday morning.
”The situation is going to get worse if the government fails to roll back the black law imposed on us. Ninety per cent of pumps have gone dry and in the next two hours, all the fuel stations will go dry. The government has bitterly failed to address the issue,” he said.
Sharma added that if the situation continues like this, there will be no fuel supply for the armed forces and the public which will badly hit normal life in J&K and Ladakh.
The strike will continue and drivers will not return to work unless the new legislations are repealed, he said. All J&K Transporters’ Welfare Association chairperson Ajit Singh said that a written representation would be given to the lieutenant governor.
Similar protests were also reported at Lakhanpur in Kathua district, which serves as the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, reports said.
In Srinagar, local reports reaching Kashmir Despatch said long queues of people were witnessed at petrol pump premises in Srinagar, with panic buying of fuel leading to shortages in many petrol pumps.
Despite reassurances from the administration, the fuel crisis persisted, partly due to the strike and partly due to panic buying reports.
The fuel crisis has caused significant hardships for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Waseem, a local resident, expressed his frustration while talking to Kashmir Despatch; he states that he never imagined a day when getting fuel for his vehicle would become a struggle.
Saika, an employed individual, shared similar sentiments in a conversation with Kashmir Despatch, highlighting the stress added to an already challenging situation.
Meanwhile, the public in general is calling for a swift resolution to the crisis, especially for those who rely on timely transportation, especially during emergencies.
In response to the fuel crisis, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, assured the public that the supply of fuel in the valley remains normal and that there is a substantial stock of petrol, kerosene, and LPG sufficient for almost 20 days.
He urged the public not to panic and rush to petrol pumps, assuring them that ongoing discussions with the transporters are underway to resolve the strike.
Beyond J&K
The situation is not limited to J&K alone. Protests have broken out in several states, including Bihar, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, against the new law.
What’s the law? What’s the change?
Hit-and-run accidents and deaths due to rash driving are covered under the law for causing death by negligence. In the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The law, which has received the President’s assent after it cleared Parliament, has two clauses under Section 104. “Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine,” says the first clause.
Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide and escapes from the scene of the incident or fails to report the incident to a police officer or magistrate soon after the incident shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to a fine,” says the second.
Currently, hit-and-run accidents are covered by IPC’s Section 304A. “Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with a fine, or with both,” it states.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
