Hyderabad: Managements of petrol bunks on the city’s outskirts are violating rules by selling their diesel in bulk to industries, educational institutions and construction companies, it has been revealed.
A few bunk owners, operating petrol outlets at Balanagar, Kompally, Bimmara Pochampally, Medchal, Shamshabad, Patancheru, Bollaram, Rajendranagar, Old City, etc., are filling up bowser vehicles for firms – a practice that’s illegal.
According to the Petroleum Act, petrol bunk owners should not feed petrol or diesel into a tanker having a petrol-dumping option (Bowser). Bunk owners should also not provide petrol or diesel if the handle of the pump (gun) exceeds six feet height to meeting the filling point.
But few institutions including construction companies, bulk drug companies, educational institutions running buses and other industries are hiring petrol tankers privately and are illegally using fuel from these pumps for their vehicles, generators and other on-site equipment.
According to the Petroleum Act, such institutions must obtain permissions for storing petroleum products from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation.
But the Act adds that no company should procure petrol or diesel from petrol bunks and it should be the oil companies providing the required fuel through its tankers to static or underground tanks installed by an industry or a company at its site.
The president of Telangana petrol dealers association, N. Dinesh Reddy, says officials from the oil companies, civil supplies department and explosives safety wing must take stringent action against such practices.
“Most of the companies are having licences from the explosives department and they must procure petroleum products directly from oil companies. But several companies are not approaching oil companies due to a lack of credit facility with them. Petrol dealers give fuel on credit basis and the companies pay the credit once or twice a month,” he says.
Mr Reddy, however, adds that providing petroleum products to companies or institutions using private tankers was clear and blatant violation of rules.
“As per the Act, no petrol dealer should give petrol in bulk — more than 2,000 litres. Similarly, the Act says the dealer should provide petrol/diesel to the tank of a motor vehicle fixed to the vehicle. Even filling of a barrel — having a capacity of 200 litres — placed in an auto trolley is illegal as the height of the filling point exceeds six feet,” he said.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of civil supplies, C.V. Anand, says that no such cases have come to their notice and adds that he would now deploy special teams to curb such practices by the petrol bunk owners.
Petroleum rules are violated
- Petroleum rules prohibit petrol pump owners from storing petroleum products except under a licence. The licence holder should set up a well-head tank for the storage of the petrol or diesel or kerosene.
- No vehicle can carry petroleum in bulk, if it is carrying passengers or any combustible cargo other than petroleum. Bowser vehicles of few companies in the city are carrying other goods.
- In petrol pumps, only automobile tanks can be filled as per the quantity of the motor conveyance tank and connected to the engine. However, they cannot fill with any tank which does not form part of automobile.
