Date:20/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/03/20/stories/2006032001940100.htm

Back `Bring more oil outlets under third party norm'

Our Bureau

NO SLIP-UP: Mr Murli Deora, Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, and Mr Sarthak Behuria, Chairman, IOC, at a press conference in Mumbai on Sunday. — Shashi Ashiwal

Mumbai , March 19

Oil marketing companies have been asked to bring more number of retail outlets under third party certification.

This is one of the measures being suggested by Mr Murli Deora, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, to ensure the quality of fuel supplied by these outlets and prevent adulteration of petroleum products.

Public sector oil companies have been encouraging retail outlets to go in for third party inspection.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd already has a large number of outlets under the third party certification. The Minister has advised them to set higher targets. Mr Deora, who held a meeting with the top officials of the public sector oil companies on Sunday to review the anti-adulteration measurers being taken by them, admitted that price difference between subsidised products and free priced products is the main driver for adulteration. But he told oil companies to put in place a stringent system to counter adulteration.

Mr Deora directed oil companies to undertake surprise inspections at retail outlets and introduce GPS (global positioning system) on petrol tanks. GSP could track down tanks in transit and detect adulteration of fuel by transporters.