Andhra Pradesh

Mobile lab to check diesel adulteration on the anvil

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 31. The Food and Civil Supplies Minister, G. Vijayarama Rao, has admitted in the Assembly that adulteration of diesel with kerosene goes undetected up to a certain percentage as there was no proper testing and analysing facility with the Government.

Replying to a question asked by Daggubati Venkateswara Rao (Congress) on Thursday, the Minister said the State did not have gas chromatograph analyser that could detect the kerosene adulterant below 20 per cent. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, wrote to the Centre seeking such facility, he said.

Lubricant oil

There was a proposal to launch mobile laboratory service in each district to check adulteration. As for adulteration of lubricants, cases were booked against Ramdev Vyas in Hyderabad.

Mr. Venkateswara Rao alleged that 40,000 litres of lubricant oil was being adulterated with waste oil at a unit in Gandipet and distributed to districts. Apart from Ramdev Vyas two others were involved.

Minister's assurance

The Endowments Minister, M. Satyanarayana Rao, assured agitated members of the Telugu Desam that a senior officer would be asked to check illegal sale of properties belonging to Sri Swamy Haathiramji Mutt in Tirupati and other places. He agreed with N. Amarnatha Reddy (TDP) that there was mismanagement of these valuable properties.

The Government had obtained a report from the Director General (Vigilance and Enforcement) in this regard. During a recent visit to Tirupati, a committee of district officials was constituted.

The Municipal Administration Minister, Koneru Ranga Rao, told T. Gopalakrishna (Congress) that action would be taken to recover water charge arrears of over Rs. 8 crores from the Nagarjuna Fertilizers, Godavari Fertilizers and Golden AgroTech. One of them had approached the Court and obtained a stay. Vigorous attempts would be made to get the stay vacated.

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