The Delhi High Court has sought responses from the Centre and three oil PSUs on a plea by an association of petrol and diesel dealers to change the mode of selling the fossil fuels from volume basis to weight and temperature method.
The All Haryana Petrol Dealers Association has moved the petition claiming "when petrol loaded at a higher temperature is stored in underground tanks maintained at lower temperature, it results in volumetric contraction" due to which dealers suffer a loss of 112 litres of diesel and 144 litres of petrol for every 12,000 litres of each fuel.
Justice Manmohan has issued notices to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and sought their replies by September 8.
The Association, in its petition, has sought directions to the ministry to issue necessary guidelines for ensuring compliance of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, in respect of supply of petrol and diesel by the oil companies.
It has also sought directions to the oil companies to load the tank in lorries at 15 degrees Celsius temperature or in the alternative if fuel is loaded at any temperature higher than that, then the corresponding weight of the petrol or diesel should be indicated in the invoice.
The dealers, in their plea, have also sought directions to the oil companies "to supply petrol and diesel on weight basis in accordance with the Act or in alternative if petrol or diesel cannot be supplied on weight basis then temperature variation adjustment should be given at the time of preparing invoices of the dealers as per the scientific formula i.E as per density chart.
