Naik pledges dirt on Cong allotments in 45 days

Stung by criticism that the petrol pump scandal has thrown up, the NDA government today unveiled plans to dig up dirt on the Opposition by p...

Stung by criticism that the petrol pump scandal has thrown up, the NDA government today unveiled plans to dig up dirt on the Opposition by probing all petrol pump, LPG and kerosene agency allotments made between 1983 and 2000 by various governments.

Speaking on the sidelines of the BJP conclave in Mumbai, embattled Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Ram Naik said the government has sought a review to check if political favours had been granted.

‘‘Since the demand for a probe into allotment of petrol pumps, LPG and kerosene agencies was made by a record number of 110 MPs, my government has accepted it.’’ The inquiry, he said, would be completed within 45 days.

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Once the probe was conducted, his government would release the entire list of beneficiaries. ‘‘Once the probe is complete, we will know as to how the Congress misused its official position for its workers,’’ Naik said.

Naik did not say if the government intends to cancel any allotments if they are found to be done on grounds other than merit as was done by the PM for dealerships allotted after 2000.

In Delhi, Prime Minister Vajpayee said the review did not aim at cancellations. ‘‘The review is for investigation and not cancellation,’’ he said.

Naik, who addressed a party conclave, along with Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, was backed by various speakers at the conclave.

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Many said it was unfortunate that Naik was being criticised despite the fact that less than 25 per cent of petrol pumps were allotted to party workers, while during Congress rule, the percentage was more than 75.

Sources said state-run oil companies have already been asked to furnish period-wise details of the over 24,000 allotments made by dealer selection boards (DSBs) between 1983 and 2000.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum and IBP have been asked to provide lists of beneficiaries during the Congress rule from 1983 to 1989, followed by those made between December 2, 1989 and March 13, 1991 when V.P. Singh and Chandrashekhar were prime ministers.

Allotments made under the P.V. Narasimha Rao government between 1991 and 1996 will be clubbed in one list while allotments made during 1996-97 would be listed separately followed by those made during 1998-99, they said.

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Naik has been at the centre of all the criticism following a series of investigative reports in The Indian Express on large scale allotment of petrol pumps to close relatives of senior BJP leaders and functionaries of the RSS.