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Govt initiates inquiry into pump allotments since 1983

"We are reviewing over 24,000 allotments made since 1983 to find out if the (selection) process was altered to favour people with political affiliations," officials in the petroleum ministry told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.

Acting on the demand made by 110 members of Parliament, the ministry has asked the state-owned oil companies to furnish date-wise details of the allotments, which were made since the constitution of dealer selection boards.

The four state-run oil-retailing companies -- Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum, and Indo-Burma Petroleum -- have been asked to compile data on allotments made during the tenure of a particular government.

Allotments made from 1983 to 1989 have been clubbed as one block, followed by those made in the period of the ninth Lok Sabha from December 2, 1989, to March 13, 1991.

The oil companies have also been asked to list the beneficiaries of the allotments made during the Narasimha Rao government in 1991-96, while allotments made during 1996-97 are to be listed separately, followed by those made in 1998-99.

The inquiry follows the government's unilateral decision to cancel all allotments of petrol pumps, gas agencies, and kerosene dealerships made since January 1, 2000, in the wake of the allegations of favouritism.

The officials said that unlike in the previous two-and-a-half years, the earlier DSBs were packed with members of the ruling parties, including members of Parliament and state legislatures.

Besides, petroleum ministers had discretionary quotas. "When allegations of favouritism could be levied against DSBs, which comprised retired high court judges and senior oil company officials, it is natural that people are going to question the selections made when politicians were at the helm," they said.

"Naturally, everyone is keen to clean the system... that's why this review," the officials said, adding that it could take 10 to 12 days to compile all the data on allotments made to political leaders and their kin since 1983.

Oil companies have been asked to draw up a list of allottees and their affiliation, including the process by which they were selected -- whether from the minister's discretionary quota or through interviews. Data is also being collected on the identity of other applicants and the results of their interviews, the officials added.

"The review is being conducted on [about] 18,000 petrol pumps and 7,000 gas dealerships that were allotted," they said, refusing to comment on what the government proposed to do if any favouritism was found in the allotments.

PTI

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