Maharashtra petrol dealers threaten shutdown

Petrol station dealers across Maharashtra in India threatened a state-wide shutdown on September 3, protesting the alleged harassment by an agency authorized to check fuel quality. The dealers, under the umbrella of the Federation of Petroleum Dealers Association (FAMPEDA), said they also want access to fuel adulteration test kits, failing which they would resort to a shutdown on September 10 and 11. “The checking of fuel by an Independent agency, SGS, is fraught with corruption while a re-test by any other agency is barred under the modified marketing discipline guidelines with the penalty being the termination of dealerships,” the association said. The 2,700-odd petrol dealers across the state of Maharashtra have been harassed by the said inspection agency, FAMPEDA claimed. The government has introduced a marker system for kerosene last October. It had mandated SGS Life Science Services to check fuel quality. (September 1, 2007)