Oil mafia flourishing

Haridwar district has become a hot bed for fuel adulteration:

P.S. Chauhan

If you think that the diesel and petrol you are using is pure, you are mistaken. These days when every commodity, from pulses to milk and even drugs and medicines are fake and adulterated, oil mafia is playing havoc with the public by adulterating kerosene and chemicals with diesel and petrol. The malpractice of adulterating kerosene and chemicals with petrol and diesel has become a flourishing trade in Haridwar district with its network spreading to the districts of the adjoining states.

Last week the police and the civil supplies department busted a racket of adulterated diesel and kerosene. Smelling some foul play, the police checked a truck, proceeding towards Muzaffarnagar in UP, at Narsan checkpost and took in possession 13 drums of adulterated oil. On the tip off from the driver, Rajveer and the conductor, Saleem, both resident of the town Bhokkarhedi in Muzaffarnagar district of UP, the police conducted raid on a factory in the village Belda, near Roorkee. The inspector of Manglaur kotwali, M.S.Negi, said that in the crackdown 19 drums of diesel, 12 drums of kerosene and 10 drums of chemicals were recovered. In all 17,800 litre of kerosene and adulterated diesel and petrol were recovered. The police also took in its possession the pipes and equipments which were used in preparing fake diesel in the plant. The owner of the plant, Rakesh Sabbarwal and his accomplice, Shayam Veer, both of the village Belda, were arrested and sent to jail alongwith Rajveer and Saleem under different sections of the clause 3/7 of the Essential Commodities Act. The SSP, Sanjay Gunjyal says that they are going to apply the 'gangster act' against all those involved in this heinous crime.

About two months ago, in another crackdown, the police caught a truck, loaded with 10,000 litres of kerosene, which was proceeding towards Uttar Pradesh, though the kerosene was allotted for Tehri in Uttarakhand. The investigations of the police revealed that many influential persons, including an MLC from UP, Gaje Singh, were involved in the racket. The police registered an FIR against 8 persons. However, many of them, including the MLC, are still out of the police dragnet. One year ago, one such plant was unearthed at Rampur, near Roorkee. A very big factory, preparing fake petrol and diesel, was unveiled near Bhagwanpur in the district a few years ago. These are only tips of the iceberg.

"The working of the oil mafia on such a large scale can not be possible without the involvement of the influential persons, including the politicians and the officials," says Gopal Narsan, an advocate of Roorkee. The district civil supplies officer, P.S. Pangati says that to some extent an oil depot. at Landhora, which is the centre of bulk supply of oil in the region, has given rise to the evil practice of malpractice of adulteration. "Many times the kerosene, which is allotted for public distribution system (PDS), is diverted to the godowns of the oil mafia instead of reaching the ration shops," admits Pangati. He complains of inadequate staff, the lack of intelligence network and legal powers to deal effectively with the oil mafia. The kerosene sells at Rs. 12.50, whereas the price of diesel is Rs. 32 per litre. The big difference in the price of kerosene and diesel generates the temptation to mix kerosene with diesel to earn profit. Dye and marker are used to add the colour of pure diesel to the adulterated diesel. The oil mafia is causing shortage of kerosene supply in the districts of the plains and the hills of the state. "The use of adulterated petrol and diesel is fraught with serious consequences for the machinery of the buses, cars, trucks, tractors and other vehicles," says Irshad, a mechanic here.

Diwakar Bhatt, the state minister for food and civil supplies, told Haridwar Plus that adulteration of any type could not be tolerated. "The oil mafia is plundering the public to fill their coffers. We are going to tighten the noose on them. We have warned the oil companies and the transporters that kerosene should reach to its destinations, otherwise strict action will be taken against them. Nobody will be spared, howsoever influential he may be," warned Bhatt. It remains to be seen that how far the administration succeeds in curbing this big racket which has now spread its tentacles in the region along with the adjoining states.