Now, pvt fuel pumps also under lens

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24

Private petrol pumps owned by Reliance and Essar in Punjab would also now come under the scanner of Special Task Force (STF) constituted by the state government earlier this month for checking irregularities.

Since no private petrol pump in the state has been inspected ever since the STF came into existence, the Food and Civil Supplies Department today ordered the STF to conduct random checks at these pumps also. Both private players together have 165 outlets across the state while the public sector oil companies have 3,215 outlets.

“The department has issued orders and very soon private pumps would also be inspected on the lines of retail outlets of public sector oil companies,” a senior official in the department said. The STF comprises officials of the Food and Civil Supplies, weight and measures department, local police and district nodal officer of oil marketing company.

According to data, the STF has raided 521 petrol pumps of public sector companies across the state and irregularities were found in fuel dispensing machines of about two dozen pumps.