NHAI issues notices to petrol pumps

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 19

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Thursday issued notices to all filling stations falling between Phagwara and Jalandhar on the Delhi-Amritsar national highway (NH-44) for operating without a valid NOC issued by its department.

As a majority of the filling stations situated on this stretch were constructed around 50 years ago, these did not take an NOC from the NHAI which was constituted only in 1988.

According to Rana Tut, a filling station owner, the owners had taken the NOCs only from the Explosives Department. “Now, suddenly the NHAI has issued us notices and asked us to get NOCs issued from it. Since the NOCs issued by the Explosives Department were too old, we are trying to get a fresh copy issued from their offices in Nagpur and Faridabad,” said Tut.

The sudden panic reported on the NH-44 also ripped apart the poor planning of the national highways authority which did not bother to check the NOCs of any of the filling station till date.

Even during the ongoing construction of the six-laning of the NH-44, the NHAI officials failed to meticulously plan the egress of the filling stations, the services of which are covered under public utility services.

“Despite repeated requests, the NHAI behaved like a stubborn child and made high drains of up to 2 to 3 feet in front of our pumps, causing heavy losses to our businesses and huge depreciation of our properties,” alleged another filling station owner.

Since the filling stations did not appear on the NH-44 maps due to the non-availability of any NOCs issued by the department, the officials could not plan egress for any of the filling stations situated on the road. Following this, all filling stations made illegal exit and entry points from the NH-44, landing the NHAI in trouble at the Permanent Lok Adalat (PLA) in Kapurthala.

It was only after receiving a bashing from the PLA around two days ago that the NHAI woke up from its slumber and hurriedly issued notices to all filling stations, including those which were constructed in recent years and are in possession of a valid NOC to operate these.

When contacted, an NHAI official accepted the fact that since the department did not have details of the NOCs issued to the buildings that were constructed on the NH-44, it had issued notices to all of these. “We have asked them to either show us the NOC or pay a fine of Rs 25 lakh for gaining an illegal egress for their property,” said the official.

However, the oil dealers are calling it brow beating of the oil companies and said it was their duty to have ensured the compliance of all mandatory permissions required before opening a pump.

Meanwhile, hailing the decision of PLA chairperson Manju Rana, the Petrol Pump Dealers Association has promised its complete support to her and urged her to take strict action against the “irregularities” of the NHAI.