Chennai, Aug 26 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu government today said petrol bunks in the state would function round-the-clock without any weekly holiday and asked people not to resort to panic buying of petrol and diesel.

State Food Minister E V Velu clarified the position a day after the Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association declared that they would close down petrol bunks on Sundays and restrict the working hours from 0600 to 2200 hrs with effect from September 15, in view of short supply of petroleum products by the oil companies.

After a meeting with the representatives of the oil companies and dealers at Secretariat this morning, Mr Velu told the dealers that petroleum products were essential commodities and declaring weekly holiday or restricting the working hours would be illegal, an official release here said.

The dealers were advised to withdraw the resolution adopted at Association's General Council meeting held in Salem yesterday. They were also asked to continue their essential service without any hindrance, the release added.

The public sector oil companies were also asked to ensure regular supply of petrol and diesel and not to give any room for complaints of short supply, the release said.

Public need not have any apprehension of the availability of petroleum products and they need not resort to panic-buying or stocking, it said.

After it was pointed out that the demand for diesel had increased in the recent past, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi wrote to Union Petroleum Minister, demanding that the Centre allot 75,000 kilo litres of diesel, in addition to the 4.2 lakh kilo litres, presently supplied to the state.

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