In many districts of Purvanchal in Uttar Pradesh, people are yearning for petrol and diesel. Be it Gonda, Bahraich, Basti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar or Prayagraj and Varanasi, the situation is the same everywhere. The situation is similar at dozens of petrol pumps in Siddharthnagar alone. Siddharthnagar has 5 tehsils and 13 blocks. Everywhere, the situation is similar. People are going to fill petrol or diesel, there are long queues, they have to return helplessly. Sometimes the petrol pump employees are stopping distributing oil, sometimes they are crying that the oil has not arrived. This is the situation in tehsils like Naugarh, Shohratgarh, Bansi, Etawah and Dumariyaganj. This is the condition of Purvanchal, whereas on the contrary, people returning from Uttarakhand after Chardham Yatra are telling a different story.
 

There is a district court in Siddharthnagar. Khabargaon spoke to more than 12 lawyers visiting here. Everyone’s answer was that now we are not able to reach the court on time, the reason is that we have to wait in queue for petrol or reach the court. Even if you stand in line, you are worried about whether you will get petrol or not. Incidents of fighting are coming to light every day at the petrol pumps of Sanai and Pakdi.

In which places the situation is worse?

Siddharthnagar has 13 blocks. Naugarh, Barhni, Shohratgarh, Bardpur, Jogiya, Uska Bazar, Bansi, Mithwal, Khesraha, Bhanwapur, Itwa, Khuniyaon, Dumariyaganj and Lotan. The situation is the same on all these blocks. People are waiting a long time for petrol but there is no hearing. There is a fight for petrol.

Anand Kumar Mishra is a lawyer by profession. Come from Lotan block. There are 2 petrol pumps in front of his area. Sohans and Lotan. There is shortage of petrol at both the places, people are not able to get oil. Leave the car, they are not able to get oil for the bike in time.

People fighting at the petrol pump

Anand Mishra said, ‘There is a fight over petrol at the petrol pump. There are long queues, as if there is a cut-throat competition going on to get petrol. There is one petrol pump, hundreds of vehicles. People with jugaad are getting petrol in gallons, those who do not have jugaad are waiting for their share. This has been happening for several weeks. People are ready to kill each other over the slightest issue.

Those who have resources are also suffering in buses.

Upendra Shukla is a teacher by profession. He lives in Shohargarh block. His school is about 20 kilometers away from here. He travels only on his bike. For the past several days, he has been hit by autos because he is facing shortage of petrol for his bike.

People are returning after seeing the line

Seeing the condition of the petrol pump, people are unable to muster the courage to stand in the queue. They also have the same complaint that in all the petrol pumps from Shohratgarh to Sanai intersection, Jugaad vendors are getting petrol, otherwise a fight is breaking out. At Bora Petrol Pump in Shohratgarh, it is being claimed that the petrol will run out as soon as it arrives.

Even reaching weddings and engagements has become difficult.

Same is the condition of Chetia block also. Suraj Kumar comes from Jogia block. Wedding season is going on. He was about to attend a function but realized that he had run out of petrol. He took the bike to Jogiya petrol pump and had to return there also. Went to Bansi also, had to return from there without filling. Either stand in the queue for hours to fill petrol or return home, these are the only two ways left.

Even going to hospital has become difficult

Nakahi Chaudhary is 80 years old. She comes from Shohargarh block. He has been ill for the past several days. Want to show Gorakhpur. The neighbor has a car. His son has been trying to fill petrol worth Rs 1500 for 2 days, but he has to return empty handed. The petrol pump owner has said that petrol worth more than Rs 500 will not be available. At least 12 to 13 liters of petrol is required to travel to and from Gorakhpur.

The condition of neighboring districts is also bad

Same is the condition from Sant Kabir Nagar to Basti. People are desperate for petrol and diesel. The police give a rote answer as to what can we do about it. The phones of MLA and MP remain out of contact. All this is happening in front of the eyes of the administration but no action is being taken. The action that is being taken is inadequate. Neither hoarding is stopping, nor is the correct procedure for distributing petrol being followed. Even after compulsory license, the situation remains bad.

No long lines, no problems, everything is fine in Uttarakhand

On the inaccessible hills of Uttarakhand, from Haridwar, Rishikesh to Badrinath, there is neither shortage of petrol nor are people worried. People do not have to stand in long lines. It is scorching heat, due to the mountainous region and Chardham Yatra, people are reaching here from every corner of the country. Oil tanks are hardly accessible in the hills, yet people are getting petrol easily. Why is this so, when some petrol pump employees of Uttarakhand were talked to, the answer was found.

Employees say that petrol and diesel are not being given to anyone here in gallons. Neither hoarding is being done nor is it being allowed to happen. There is no competition among people to buy more and more petrol or diesel, police are deployed at various places, who are keeping an eye on any kind of rigging. Such is the situation in the border areas of UP. Whatever may be the situation in the metros, there is a need for better control in Purvanchal. It is illegal to give petrol in gallons and bottles at petrol pumps, yet people with access are getting petrol and diesel worth thousands, while the needy people are in need.