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Ordinance on petrol pump allotments deferred

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI Aug. 24. The Union Cabinet today deferred issuance of an ordinance to terminate the dealership of about 3,600 petrol pump, kerosene and gas agencies allotted since January 2000.

Briefing the Cabinet's decision, an official spokesperson said the Petroleum Ministry felt that the issue needed further examination and it wanted time to go into details of certain issues.

The Government was earlier in favour of promulgating an ordinance to ensure that there was legal backing for making the cancellation of dealerships.

The ordinance was to ensure that all selections of petroleum dealers on the recommendations of Dealer Selection Boards on or after January 2000 were rendered void and would have no legal effect. It was also to empower the oil companies to take over the petrol, kerosene and gas retail outlets.

But the Government had moved the Supreme Court for transfer of all cases challenging the cancellation orders pending in various High Courts to the apex court and the petition is to come up for further hearing on August 26.

The Union Government had also filed an application seeking a direction to exempt petrol pumps, kerosene and gas agencies belonging to special category allottees, including war widows, handicapped and outstanding sportspersons from the blanket termination order. Hence, it was decided to defer the issuance of the ordinance for the time being.

The Cabinet also approved the repeal of the Mysore State Legislative Delegation of Powers Act 1971 as it became obsolete and the committee on administrative laws had recommended its repeal.

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