10,000-litre illegal oil tank unearthed

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 26

The city police today raided the premises of an oil transport company and seized a large quantity of diesel allegedly stored illegally in an underground oil tank of 10,000-litre capacity on a vacant plot in the Hardeep Nagar area.

According to area SHO Nirmal Singh, the police got a tip-off that the diesel had been stored illegally on the plot covered by huge walls and oil was being sold on the black market from the area.

“Though the prescribed limit of the storage tank or receptacle for storing a class B fuel, including diesel, should not exceed 1,000 litres, the owner has installed oil tank worth 10,000 litres capacity which is mainly used for commercial use by the filling stations. Also, he had installed the fuel ejection machine without taking any permission or following the norms provided under the Petroleum Act, 1934,” said Singh.

On getting the information, Nirmal Singh, accompanied by District Food and Supplies Officer (DFSC) Neelkanth Sharma and other police officials raided the premises and seized around 4,500 litres of diesel from the tank. Also, the police impounded 22 trucks filled with diesel parked inside the plot.

The police arrested Swaran Singh, owner of Lucky Oil Company and also the owner of the plot, under Section 7 of the Essential Commodity Act, 1955, for installing the tank illegally and also for installing the oil pumping machine.

He was later released on bail. However, within minutes of his arrest, the Indian Oil Tanker Union held a press conference and accused DFSC Neelkanth and also area SHO of harassing them. Ashok Sareen, vice-president of the union, stated that the tank of minimum capacity was provided by the filling station for storing the oil for their personal use.

“Swaran Singh is running a big transport company with dozens of trucks and requires diesel for personal use. Though the police claimed that it has seized oil worth 4500 litres, in reality, it was not more than 2,500 litres which is the permissible limit under Section 7 of the Petroleum Act, 1934,” said Sareen.

However, he could not give a satisfactory reply when told that no one could install an oil tank of 10,000 litres capacity for personal use and the diesel under permissible limit of 2,500 litres capacity has to be stored separately in 1000-litre tanks only.

Sareen claimed ignorance into the provisions provided clearly under the same Section which was quoted by him during the press conference. He though promised later to follow the norms prescribed under the Petroleum Act.

What the Petroleum Act states

No licence needed for the transport or storage of limited quantities of petroleum Class B or petroleum Class C. Notwithstanding anything contained in this chapter, a person need not obtain a licence for the transport or storage of petroleum Class B if the total quantity in his possession at any one place does not exceed 2,000 and 500 litres and none of it is contained in a receptacle exceeding 1,000 litres in capacity or petroleum Class C if the total quantity in his possession at any one place does not exceed 45,000 litres and such petroleum is transported or stored in accordance with the rules made under Section 4.