NOIDA: With over Rs 45 lakh remaining to be paid to different petrol pumps, the district fire department is in for a major trouble. This is because a number of petrol pump owners have refused to provide fuel to fire tenders on credit any more.While the pump owners say they have been providing fuel to the fire department on credit for months, the department claims it received only Rs 22 lakh from its headquarters in April, which was dispersed to some pumps. As no money was released after that, most fuel providers have not been paid their accrued dues so far. Pump owners say they are running into losses and forced to seek small loans from banks.According to chief fire officer (CFO) Arun Kumar Singh , fire officers from nine stations across the district have sent details about their dues to his office, amounting to over Rs 45 lakh. “By September 17, the Phase II fire station has a pending payment of Rs 6.9 lakh while Rs 6.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh are pending with the Knowledge Park fire station and Phase III fire station, respectively. Other fire stations at Expressway, Greater Noida , Sector 58, Ecotech I, Ecotech III too have accrued dues pending for payment for fuel,” an official said.“The Harola fire station that falls under Phase I of the district has the maximum amount of Rs 10.47 lakh pending. The amount is yet to be paid to the Automobile petrol pump in Sector 14,” he added.Pump owners say they are running into losses as they have had to seek extra money from banks in the form of small loans. “We have been providing fire tenders with fuel on credit for months. However, the situation has gone out of our hands now. We are forced to stop supplies to the fire tenders as it has become difficult to sustain,” said Sushil Kumar, accountant at the petrol pump in Sector 14.“We have taken small loans to continue purchase of fuel, for which payment has to be made in advance. But, these loans have to be repaid on time. The banks ask for a deadline to repay the loans but we have not been able to meet those deadlines due to non-payment of dues,” he added.While the CFO has informed the UP police headquarters in Lucknow about the requirement, a fund release is still awaited. “In case we require fuel urgently and it is not available, we inform the DM and the district supply officer who intervene,” Singh said.

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