Sanjay Bumbroo Panchkula, November 13 Residents and commuters in Pinjore are facing a tough time in getting fuel as the only petrol pump in the town, which was being run by HMT Employees Cooperative Consumer Society Limited, is lying closed for the past five months. It is located near the main gate of the HMT and lies on the Zirakpur-Parwanoo road. The pump is shut since July 1. In the absence of any other petrol pump in the town, residents have to travel to the petrol pumps at Kalka or Chandimandir for fuel. Mohinder Kakkar, president, Pinjore Punjabi Sabha, said, “Residents of Pinjore are facing a huge problem. If the HMT cooperative society was unable to run the petrol pump, then it should be handed over to some other society or the corporation.” It is pertinent to mention here that the police had arrested eight persons, including the DGM of HMT for misappropriating funds of HMT Employees Cooperative Consumer Society Limited about six months ago. Meanwhile, the employees working at the pump have not received their salaries for the past one year. The employees said the pump had suffered a loss of Rs 50 lakh in the past five months and alleged that the manager of the society was also not showing any interest in running the pump as he was going to retire in January. Mohinder Sharma, manager, HMT cooperative society, said the society was suffering from staff crunch to maintain the records. For this reason, the petrol pump was lying shut, he added. Former chairman of Shivalik Vikas Board Vijay Bansal said he would contact the management of the society and if the pump was not started, they would be forced to move the court. He also urged the government to intervene in the matter.

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