By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday said that Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have reported that the distributors are under instructions not to cancel the cash memo without any valid reason. Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS)/Short Message Service (SMS) refill booking system has been introduced by OMCs, wherein the customers get SMS on refill booking/generation of cash memo and refill delivery.
In case, cash memo is cancelled by the distributor, the reason for the same is captured in the system and SMS of refill cancellation is also triggered to the consumers. In OMCs software, against cancelled refill, LPG cylinder cannot be delivered to any other person.
OMCs carry out surprise inspections at distributors premises, conduct refill audits, surprise check at customer’s premises, en-route checking of delivery vehicles etc. to prevent the diversion of domestic LPG.
Further, whenever complaints are received, the same are investigated and in all established cases, punitive action is taken as per the extant Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) and the Distributorship Agreement. Whenever complaints/information on commercial establishments using domestic cylinders receive, State Government/District Authorities take necessary action.
Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have informed that action is taken as per Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) and Dealership agreement against retail outlet dealers where cases of adulteration are established as per the provisions of Marketing Discipline Guidelines and Dealership Agreement subsisting between Retail Outlet (RO) dealer and OMC.
The Central Government has also issued the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005 under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 which provides for punitive action against malpractices such as adulteration of petroleum products. Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have a system of monitoring and surveillance at the Retail Outlets. Important initiatives taken by OMCs in this regard include:-
Filter Paper, Calibrated Density Equipment (Hydrometer/Thermometer) & 5 Liter Calibrated Measure are made available at the Retail Outlets for checking quality & quantity of MS/HSD.Regular / Surprise inspections are carried out at Retail Outlets by OMC Field Officers/ Senior Officers/Mobile labs throughout the country.
A separate Quality Assurance Cell (QAC) has been created for carrying out inspections.Samples are drawn from petrol pumps at random and sent for testing to authorized laboratories.
Tankers are being sealed before leaving company premises to protect against pilferage/adulteration en-route.
GPS have been installed to monitor movement of Tank Trucks carrying MS / HSD.Third Party Audit of Retail Outlet is being done by OMCs for effective monitoring and benchmarking.
Automation of Retail Outlets has been undertaken by OMCs which enable the real-time capture of sales transaction and monitoring of tank stocks and receipts.
Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) can be produced from biomass and organic waste sources like paddy straw & farm stubble, agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, distillery spent wash, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, forest residue etc.
Government of India has launched Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative on 1.10.2018 to promote CBG as an alternative, green transport fuel for efficient management of biomass and organic waste.
As part of the SATAT scheme, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Gail (India) Limited and Indraprastha Gas Limited had launched an Expression of Interest (EoI) for procurement of CBG from the entrepreneurs at an assured price.
The CBG shall be sold to automobiles as clean fuel in a similar way to CNG and can also be sold to domestic, industrial and commercial consumers which are using LPG and other fuels. SATAT initiative has the potential of addressing environmental problems arising from stubble burning. The viability is based on techno commercial factors, Pradhan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha said.
