UNB, Dhaka :Country’s petrol pump and tank-lorry owners and workers on Saturday announced a 7-hour strike on August 28 to press home their 12-point demand, including cancellation of ‘abnormal’ land lease charge.As per the announcement, all petrol pumps and tank-lorry operations will remain off from 6 am to 3 pm on the day.Bangladesh Petrol Pump and Tank-lorry Owners-Workers Unity Council, a new body formed by the owners and workers in the sector, announced the programme at a press conference at a city hotel.One of their main demands is cancellation of new ‘abnormal’ land lease charge imposed by the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) for the use of its land by petrol pump owners for the operation of their pumps across the country.”Our land lease charge has been raised by about 188 times through a recent order. Currently, we pay about Tk 64,000 annually for the use of a land. Once the new rate is effective, we’ll have to pay Tk 27 lakh a year,” said Nazmul Haque, president of the Petrol Pump and Tank-lorry Owners-Workers Unity Council, citing an example of a land in Matuail area.The rate may vary from area to area, but the enhancement, in most cases, is nearly 188 times which is totally abnormal. Nazmul, however, said the council will go on strike for an indefinite period if their demands are not met within the next 10 days. The other demands include re-fixation of commissions on the sale of petroleum, increasing the tank-lorry fares, introducing Tk 5-lakh accident-insurance coverage for tank-lorry workers, re-fixation of evaporation and operation loss at reasonable level, giving priority to tank-lorries at the ferry terminals, banning the sale of petroleum fuel by private refiners to petrol pumps to check the fuel adulteration or allowing them under necessary legal framework.Construction of new terminals for tank-lories in new locations and renovation of old terminals, reviewing the existing policy for petrol pump set-up, and stopping police harassment on tank-lorry operation are also among the 12 demands.
