CNG station owners defer strike until Nov 25

CNG refueling station owners’ scheduled strike from November 1 was deferred until November 25, following a meeting yesterday with State Minister for Power and Energy Mohammad Enamul Haque.
The owners had earlier announced a non-stop strike from November 1 to press home their six-point demand, including withdrawal of Government order for six-hour closure of CNG stations from 3 pm to 9 pm with a view to saving gas.
The meeting held at the Energy Ministry was attended by Petrobangla Chairman Prof Hossain Mansur and senior officials of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company and the Energy Division.
President of the CNG Filling Station & Conversion Workshop Owners Association Shafiul Islam Kamal, Secretary General Zakir Hossain Nayan and Finance secretary Abdullah Al Mamun led the talks on behalf of their organization.
Responding to a request of the State Minister for power and energy, the pump owners postponed their strike till November 25. But they warned that their non-stop strike would start from November 26 if the six-hour ban restriction on CNG stations is not withdrawn by the time.
The State Minister said some of the demands of the pump owners have been addressed while the remaining ones remained unresolved. Petrobangla will sit with them within 15 days to find a solution, he added.
Zakir Hossain told reporters after the meeting that, “We’ve deferred our strike until November 25 as the government assured us to consider our demands within this time. The minister and the officials admitted the justification of our demands.”
Actually, they have requested us to give 15 days time for further discussion. But after 15 days, the Eid-ul-Azha vacation will start. Considering the public sufferings during the Eid, we’ve postponed our programme, added Zakir.
Petrobangla Chairman also informed that for the sake of discussion, the CNG station owners have deferred their programme. “Their (owners) demands are not linked with their own business interests. It’s the matter of the car owners,” he added.
The CNG filling station owners’ six-point demand include installation of electronic volume meters (bill calculating meters) at the CNG stations, reducing the license fee to Tk 5,000 from the Tk 10,000, re-fixing annual renewal fee at Tk 1,000, and exempting the refueling pumps from taking no objection certificates from the Department of Environment.
The CNG refueling pump owners have been keeping their stations close for six hours from 3 pm to 9 pm since August 16 following the government order. – The New Nation