The Hindu : Uproar over allotment of petrol pumps

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 03, 2002

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Uproar over allotment of petrol pumps

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 2. Parliament witnessed tumultuous scenes today over a report that the Petroleum Ministry had favoured the supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party in allotting petrol pumps and gas agencies.

While the demand for the suspension of question hour was turned down in both the Houses, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned soon after, with the entire Opposition waving copies of a news report that listed the names of those who were allotted the agencies and linked them to the BJP leaders.

Though the Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, allowed the matter to be raised during zero hour, the entire Opposition walked out an hour-and-a-quarter later expressing dissatisfaction with the statement of the Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Santosh Gangwar. The issue dominated the early part of zero hour — which went on for well over two hours with the Bihar MPs insisting on a discussion of the flood situation in the State — and accusations flew thick and fast as the Congress and the BJP traded charges and the other NDA partners watched the battle of words.

Though Mr. Gangwar expressed willingness to conduct an enquiry into the allocation of petrol pumps, his bid to blame the Congress — that the allocations were made on the basis of applications made in 1994 and 1995 — kicked up a fresh row, leading to the walkout. The chief whip of the Congress, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, articulated the demands of the Opposition, which were later echoed by other party leaders outside Parliament. In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress MP, Suresh Pachauri, said the Government was favouring its "own people."

Speaking to correspondents later, the Samajwadi Party MP, Amar Singh, demanded a thorough inquiry, preferably by the CBI, into the issue, and the resignation of the Petroleum Minister, Ram Naik. The CPI (M) Parliamentary Party leader, Somnath Chatterjee, at a separate press conference, demanded that all such allotments be kept in abeyance till a high-level inquiry was conducted and strong action taken against those behind them. However, the allotments could not have taken place without the knowledge of the top leadership in the Government and the party, he alleged.

The BJP spokesman, V. K. Malhotra, meanwhile, maintained that the Government had nothing to do with the allotment of petrol pumps, as it was done by independent boards.

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