Crackdown on petrol pumps: After month long drive, LMO officials seal 41 dispensing units in Mumbai for errant delivery
Representational Image. Courtesy: WPJ.net
Following a rise in cases of petrol pumps shortchanging and cheating customers, the Department of Legal Metrology raided thousands of pumps across the state in March and sealed 41 dispensing units across Mumbai for erratic fuel delivery.
The Legal Metrology Organization (LMO) officials also seized seven equipments from six petrol pump outlets across the state.
Two of the seized fuel dispensers were from Charkop Petroleum located at Mahavir Nagar in Mumbai’s Kandivali (W) area, said officials. The pumps were dispensing 30 and 35 ml less fuel in five litres, higher than the permissible limit.
In addition, the department also sealed 252 fuel dispensing units across Maharashtra for erratic fuel delivery, out of which 41 are from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). They will be allowed to dispense fuel after recalibration and verification by LMO officials.
According to Amitabh Gupta, Controller (LMO), the department initiated a drive against errant petrol pumps after receiving several complaints about lesser quantities of fuel being dispensed at pumps across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.
“In March this year, we checked 11,418 dispensers at 1,636 petrol outlets across the state. Of these, 1,734 devices at 145 outlets were in MMR. We found seven fuel dispensing units at six outlets giving less petrol than their capacity,” he said.
While Gupta claimed that Charkop Petroleum had already deposited a fine of Rs 15,000, the pump’s management denied knowledge about the same while talking to a leading daily.
Apart from Mumbai, raids were also conducted at pumps across other cities like Nashik, Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad and Amravati.
Per the department’s mandate, oil marketing companies are required to keep a 5 litre capacity measure at petrol pumps for customers to clear apprehensions about fuel delivery.
In case a customer feels cheated, he or she can complain to the legal metrology department about errant petrol pumps by calling 022-22886666 or sending a WhatsApp to 9869691666.
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