Adulteration: OMCs say they have limited powers

The killing of Malegaon additional district collector Yashwant Sonawane has forced the government to take cognizance of the role of the mafia in the sector, but the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have claimed they had little power to curb adulteration. They, in fact, argued that it was the government which was vested with wide-ranging powers to tackle the menace.

The OMCs said they have been vigilant but ultimately it is the responsibility of the respective state governments to ensure members of the mafia were booked. In Maharashtra, there are about 3,300 auto fuel pumps which sell 200 kilo litre of diesel and 150 kilo litre of petrol per month.

Officials of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) said they have launched special locking devices, conduct density checks and surprise visits at the outlets to avoid adulteration, but cannot do much once tankers leave refineries.

An IOC official said the company carries out regular checks at outlets and takes action in case the tests prove positive. “Once the tankers filled with kerosene and furnace oil leave the refineries, we have no control over them. It is the responsibility of respective state governments, especially the food and civil supplies department, weights and measures department and the police to crack a whip and check adulteration and pilferage.”

A BPCL official said the company had launched a vehicle tracking system to avoid adulteration. “We have a lot of limitations. Still, we take all possible measures to avoid adulteration. The respective state governments can play a key role with the resources and manpower at their disposal to address the issue.”

HPCL officials said the OMCs jointly work to curb adulteration. He, however, reiterated the state governments would have to do much more to curb such incidents.

The parliamentary standing committee on petroleum and natural gas in its report, given to the government last August, suggested that OMCs would have to conduct more surprise inspections of retail outlets and along with the government strictly enforce the marketing discipline guidelines (MDG). It said the Petroleum Ministry should cancel dealership if dealers were found guilty.