Question : Adulteration of Petroleum Products

(a) whether the incidents of under measurement and adulteration of petrol/diesel by
various petrol pumps in the country including Delhi and NCR have been noticed by the
Government during the last three years and the current year;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the number of complaints against the petrol
pumps/persons involved received by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and the
punitive action including cancellation of their licenses, taken against them, OMC/
State/UT-wise including Maharashtra;
(c) whether the Government has set up monitoring committee to check the adulteration
of petrol, diesel and other petroleum products in the country and if so, the details thereof
and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to conduct regular drives/surprise checks and
evolve a mechanism at national level to curb such malpractices and the action taken by
the Government against the erring persons/dealers found involved therein, State/UT-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM
& NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a)& (b) : OMC/State/UT-wise details of cases (including Maharashtra) detected by Oil
Marketing Companies (OMCs) namely, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat
Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation
Limited (HPCL) related to under-measurement and adulteration at retail outlets (ROs)
and RO dealers terminated on account of these irregularities during the last three years
and current year (April-June, 2016) are annexed as Annexure.
In proven cases of under-measurement and adulteration, there is a provision to
cancel the license in the Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG)/Dealership Agreement.
OMCs have terminated 159 retail outlets for such irregularities.
(c) : A Quality Control Cell is functional in each of the Public Sector OMCs which carries
out surprise inspections at ROs for checking various irregularities including adulteration.
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(d) : Public Sector OMCs undertake regular and surprise inspection of Retail Outlets and take action under the provisions of MDG and Dealership Agreements against the outlets found indulging in irregularities/malpractices. OMCs have carried out 5,61,796 number of inspections at their retail outlets in the country during the last three years and current year up to June 2016. The MDG provides for termination of outlets in the first instance for serious malpractices and graded penalties for other malpractices/ irregularities. The Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005 issued by the Central Government under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 also provides for punitive action against malpractices such as adulteration. Several initiatives to prevent irregularities in Retail Outlets have been taken that include Automation of Retail Outlets, Third Party Certification of Retail outlets and Monitoring of movement of tank trucks through Global Positioning System (GPS). State/OMC-wise detail of cases of under-measurement and adulteration and retail outlets terminated on account of these irregularities during last three years and current year up to June, 2016 is annexed as Annexure.
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