Inspection raids to continue: IOC

PUNE, Jan 1: An unprecedented back-stage drama preceded the Pune Dealers' Association decision to call off their no-purchase campaign''...

PUNE, Jan 1: An unprecedented back-stage drama preceded the Pune Dealers8217; Association decision to call off their 8220;no-purchase campaign8221; today. With the association confidently claiming that it had emerged victorious in forcing the oil corporations and the government to accept all its demands, the latter say otherwise.

Speaking to The Indian Express, higher echelons at the oil corporations clearly maintained that they would not budge and the raiding and inspection drive would continue as usual.

A panel of senior managers of all the oil corporations 8211; Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum, which was formed to look into the crisis held a meeting today where the decision to carry on the inspection drive was taken.

8220;They have requested us to impart them training in taking samples, which we have readily agreed upon. However, there will be absolutely no compromise on inspection raids and they will continue,8221; maintained N R Rajput, sales manager of Indian Oil Corporation.

While the petrol situation turned precarious this morning, the district collectorate geared itself totally to rattle off the dealers by slapping them with the Essential Commodities Act ECA.

8220;Gauging the gravity of the situation that the citizens were put to great inconvenience due to the closure of pumps we issued notices of warning to all the petrol dealers in the morning,8221; district collector Vijay Kumar Gautam told this paper.

He added: 8220;In the notice we clearly stated that if the pumps remain closed beyond 24 hours, the dealers will be prosecuted.8221; The dealers cannot put the public to such great inconvenience, he added.

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Presuming likely crisis by the evening, the government machinery was put on alert to distribute the petroleum products from oil corporations run petrol pumps in the city. Besides making provisions for additional outlets was also decided. 8220;All the tehsildars and coordinating officers in the entire district were issued notices to be prepared for distribution, decantation and supply of petroleum products,8221; said Gautam.