Bharat Bandh: Commuters suffer as petrol pumps remain shut in Bhubaneswar

A near-total shutdown of petrol pumps across Bhubaneswar on Wednesday left hundreds of commuters stranded, sparking visible frustration during the nationwide Bharat Bandh called by trade unions and farmers' groups.

Notably, no official directive was issued for fuel station closures, either by the trade unions or district authorities, raising questions about the reasons behind the shutdown.

Petrol pump operators across the city clarified they had not received any formal call to close, but cited safety concerns due to picketing and fear of vandalism as the primary reason for halting operations.

According to the Odisha Petrol Pump Owners’ Association, several protestors gathered near fuel stations early in the morning, provoking fears of staff intimidation, effectively forcing a shutdown even without an explicit strike order targeting fuel retailers.

“No trading unions had sent us a directive or notice to shut down petrol pumps in Bhubaneswar. During any strike called by any union or political party, petrol pumps are allowed to function since they are an essential service. However, this time, we shut down as a precautionary measure owing to picketing,” said Sanjay Lath, president of the Odisha Petrol Pump Owners’ Association.

Essential Services Allowed To Operate

While issuing their call for the strike, the protesting unions had allowed all essential services to function as usual and had cited that they would cause no inconvenience to the public. 

As such, none of the central trade unions behind the Bharat Bandh, including INTUC, AITUC, CITU, and HMS, included fuel retail as a target in their official strike agenda. However, the on-ground enforcement by various participating groups appears to have inadvertently triggered the citywide fuel shortage.