Hectic parleys and some tough talking by the government, along with threats by the police, began to have an impact, by Friday evening, on the striking public sector oil officers, who called off their stir. But not before the three-day agitation created widespread panic and chaos?citizens across the country scrambled to stock up fuel, commuters fretted about transport options and fertiliser plants shut down operations.

Though talks with the illegal striking union, known as the Oil Sector Officers? Association, failed to yield a breakthrough, the Centre took an aggressive stance after petroleum minister Murli Deora briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the impasse early Friday.

Even as roads along fuel stations were clogged by vehicle-owners bracing for a dry weekend, the army was roped in to restore supply lines and police forces were asked to locate striking officers and arrest them. Though Deora said the strike wasn?t called off due to ?government pressure?, the strong-arm tactics worked?employees of Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation and Gas Authority of India Ltd backed off. ONGC officers were the last to fall in line after they realised they were left waging a lone battle.

Home minister P Chidambaram said that the Cabinet discussed at length the oil workers? as well as truckers? strike, which entered the fifth day. ?A crisis committee of Cabinet has met today (Friday) morning and taken certain decisions that have been communicated to states and authorities to minimise the adverse impact of the oil strike,? the minister said.

Clearly, the Cabinet and the crisis management group led by Cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar discussed a number of tough measures, the impact of which was visible on both the oil workers and the agitating truckers. The All-India Motor Transport Congress president Charan Singh Lohara and at least 31 other officers were arrested by the Delhi Police on Friday evening.

The Centre?s tough talking should have probably come earlier. While the transporters? continuing stir has pushed up prices when inflation was just easing off, the three-day oil strike severely crippled most cities? transport services. For instance, Mumbai ran out of compressed natural gas that drives most of the city?s public transport and piped gas connections.

More worrying was the impact on the country?s fertiliser production, especially since it?s the peak of the Rabi season. Seventeen fertiliser units were forced shut since Wednesday and eight more were running perilously low on fuels.

Strong arm of govt

• Employees of BPCL, IOC, Gail and ONGC call off strike

• President of truckers? body among 31 arrested in Delhi

• Mumbai runs out of CNG supplies; 17 fertiliser units were shut