(a) Whether some of the dealers appointed by the Public Sector Oil Companies have used forged
documents to fulfil the criteria;
(b) if so, the details of such cases detected during the last two years;
(c) the number of persons involved in such forgery against whom the Government have
initiated punitive action; and
(d) the steps taken by the oil companiesto put a check on the use of such forged documents?
THE MINISTER OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI RAM NAIK)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 342
TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2004.
(a) to (d): The process for selection of dealers/distributors of petroleum products involves,
among others, verification, at the time of interview, of the attached copies of all the relevant
documents submitted by the candidates along with their applications, with the original documents.
This cross-checking is also done by the designated officer of the oil company concerned while
conducting field investigation of the selected dealers/distributors. The selection committees
and the officers conducting the field investigation have to rely on the prescribed certificates
issued by the competent authorities and presented by the candidates.
During the last two years, i.e., 2001-2002 and 2002-2003, one case each of submission of
forged certificate and false affidavit by an LPG distributor and a retail outlet (petrol pump)
dealer respectively, appointed by Indian Oil Corporation Limited, was detected. While the LPG
distributorship has been terminated, the case of the retail outlet dealership is subjudice.
The dealership/distributorship agreement that a public sector oil marketing company (OMC)
enters into with the dealer/distributor select before appointment, does contain a clause by
virtue of which if any information furnished by the dealer/distributor in his/her application
is found to be false in any material respect, the OMC can terminate the dealership/distributorship
under this agreement.