Extensive queues formed at fuel stations throughout Jammu Kashmir as truckers initiated a strike in protest of stringent penalties for hit-and-run incidents under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita law.
The strike severely impacted fuel supplies in the region, leading to a surge in panic buying. The J-K fuel station owners’ association reported that 90% of petrol pumps in Jammu had run dry, with the remaining stocks expected to deplete within hours due to the absence of 1,500 fuel tankers on strike.
The All J&K Petrol Tanker Owners’ Association declared their intention to sustain the strike until the contested legislations were revoked. Long queues of vehicles at fuel stations in Kashmir resulted in traffic congestion in parts of Srinagar and other areas of the Valley.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, slated to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, imposes up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh on drivers who cause serious accidents due to negligence and flee without informing the authorities. Protests against this provision erupted among truckers in multiple states on Monday.
V K Bidhuri, the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, assured the public that despite the nationwide strike’s impact, there were sufficient diesel, petrol, and LPG stocks in the Valley, with 21 days’ worth of diesel and 24 days’ worth of petrol available. He urged people not to panic, emphasizing the 20 days’ stock of LPG on hand.
However, fuel station managers in Srinagar expressed concerns, noting that the current rush and panic buying had shortened their anticipated stock duration from four to five days to just one day. In Jammu, some station owners sought police assistance to manage the situation and adhered to administrative directives to ration fuel, limiting petrol sales to Rs 1,000 and 10 liters of diesel per car.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bhiduri urged the public not to contribute to panic buying, assuring them of nearly a month’s supply of petrol, kerosene, and LPG in the Valley.