The Jammu and Kashmir administration needs to take a strict action against the people who are involved in black marketing, especially at a time when the people struggle to get the essentials amid the closure of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. As the highway remained recently closed for five straight days, the people found it quite difficult to get the essentials like petrol in the Valley, although the government stated that the adequate stock is available and there was no need to panic. However, most of the fuel stations had erected the board of ‘No Petrol’ outside their stations as the people in large numbers were seen moving from pillar to post to get the petrol. Amid such a crisis, some of the people were out to loot the people on the name of petrol as a single litre of petrol was being sold by shopkeepers at over Rs 180 at a few places. In one such instance, police arrested a shopkeeper from Palhallan for his involvement in the unauthorized sale of petroleum products at exorbitant rates. The man was found involved in selling of petroleum products illegally at exorbitant rates at his shop located at Palhallan Pattan, Baramulla. During the search, 187 litres of “petrol/ diesel” was recovered from his shop. The open loot is pushing the people to the wall and thus the administration needs to take serious note of it and ensure that no such unauthorized dealers are allowed to take the public on ride especially at a time when the Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for vehicular movement.
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