Date:19/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/04/19/stories/2005041901271700.htm

Back Shut-and-open case

Bijoy Ghosh

With petrol dealers downing shutters for a day on Monday demanding, among other things, an increase in their margin to 5 per cent, almost all the petrol bunks in Chennai, barring those run by the oil companies themselves or by co-operative societies, wore a deserted look.

The picture on the above is of one such bunk that was shut down as part of the strike while the picture below, shows vehicles waiting to fill up at a bunk run by a co-operative society. According to dealers' association representatives, there are about 180 outlets in Chennai run by dealers and 10 owned and operated by oil companies. In Tamil Nadu, there are a total of 2,250 bunks, of which company owned bunks number about 200.