BPCL gets NOC to set up petrol pump near upcoming toll plaza

Avneet Kaur

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Jalandhar, November 22

The Petrol Pump Dealers Association, Punjab, in a letter addressed to Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, has raised objection over issuance of a no objection certificate (NOC) to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) for setting up a petrol pump on the NH-03 (old NH-70) near the upcoming Chuharwali toll plaza.

In the letter, association members said the petrol pump which was at present under construction at Chuharwali along side Radha Swami Satsang Dera, on the NH-03, is close to the upcoming toll plaza.

The members said as per guidelines or norms to get permission for fuel stations, private properties, rest area complexes and such other facilities along national highways, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Clause No. 4.7 has mentioned that “a fuel station should not be located within a distance of 1,000 m from any barrier, including that of a toll plaza and railway level crossing. No check barrier/toll plaza should be located within 1,000 m of a fuel station.”

They said the issuance of the NOC to the BPCL dealer at the above stated location was a gross violation of the guidelines of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

“Earlier, it was an undivided road and at present it is divided. Hence, ‘drawings’ and rule for the same has been changed. Moreover, NOC was denied to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited in 2017, which was planning to set up a new retail outlet at the same location, due to violation of the guidelines,” Paramjit said.

He said even if NOC had been granted in the past, before the location of the toll plaza was finalised on this road, both petroleum rules and guidelines to get permission to the fuel station clearly states that “an oil company may construct the fuel station or private property along with its approved drawings at their own cost within six months of the issue of the provisional NOC”.

The members of the association alleged that it was a big scam going under the nose of the district administration as NOC was issued to the BPCL in 2007 and the same was not valid as the station was never constructed by the company and a dealer had been appointed under a 2018 marketing plan by the BPCL.

Meanwhile, Adampur MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu said on the one hand oil marketing companies were advertising locations, seeking applications from the common man desiring to set up petrol pumps, on the other the same locations had already in existence based on old NOC.

Terming it a scam, the MLA demanded a high-level inquiry and requested the Jalandhar DC to look into the matter and take action against the guilty.

However, Jalandhar DC Varinder Kumar Sharma denied the allegations made by Petrol Pump Dealers Association and said the documents had been issued as per law and proper guidelines.

He said he had received no such complaint and that he needs to check records to further comment on the issue.