New Delhi:The proposal to shut down petrol pumps at 8 pm as part of austerity measures by the government has been rejected, sources said today.
Sources say the Prime Minister’s Office has rejected the proposal, saying regulating petrol pumps will send a bad signal to the economy.
Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily, whose announcement on Sunday sparked a public outcry and opposition protests, today said the proposal was not the government’s idea, but was offered “by the public and others.”
The main opposition party, the BJP, had derided the minister for his statement, who today retaliated, “If the opposition has any brilliant ideas, let them share them.”
In a statement to Parliament last week, the Prime Minister said the country must “economise the use of petroleum products.”
Mr Moily’s austerity campaign from September 16 will attempt to cut fuel demand by three per cent and save an estimated Rs. 16,000 crore or USD 2.5 billion in forex outgo.
