Fuel adulteration is something we aren’t new to. More often than not, there is a folklore associated with each fuel pump in an area. The locals will tell you if this is a good place or not and more. Maharashtra, according to a survey, received the highest number of adulteration complaints – 604 of them. When investigated, only two pumps were found guilty and were immediately asked to discontinue the outlets. UP is next in line with 566 complaints and two being found guilty. Andaman and Nicobar recorded the lowest with zero complaints.
Well, this information does not have to be ear-said any more. According to a latest release from the government, public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have been informed that action is taken as per Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) and dealership agreement against retail outlet dealers. This is wherein cases of adulteration are established according to the guidelines of marketing discipline guidelines and dealership agreement subsisting between Retail Outlet (RO) dealer and OMC.
The OMCs have taken this important decision of ensuring that a five-litre calibrated measure, filter paper as well as thermometer or hydrometer are available at all fuel pump stations. OMC field officers will now start carrying out surprise tests at retail outlets, throughout India. Authorised labs will now be sent periodic samples from fuel stations. A quality assurance cell has been created to carry out this inspection. GPS trackers will be attached to those huge tankers that carry fuel to the stations. Moreover, these tankers will be sealed to prevent pilferage. For benchmarking, third party audits will be conducted of retail outlets. Not only this, automation at retail outlets will also be undetaken to ensure that there is less manual intervention required.
With the advent of BS-VI and the high technology that goes in to these vehicles, the OMC should ensure that fuel adulteration doesn’t happen. It not only helps reduce pollution but will also prevent expensive repair work for BS-VI cars, especially diesel ones.
