Hyderabad, July 22: If your bike or car is not giving proper mileage, then you should approach the Legal Metrology department officials to lodge a complaint rather than approach a mechanic.
A recent study by the department has revealed that more than 50 percent of petrol filling stations are tampering with their meters, and duping customers by short measuring.
The study, ‘Ways and means to prevent fraudulent practices in digital types of dispensing pumps’ conducted across the twin cities found that most of the filling stations are manipulating meters. The Legal Metrology department has booked 493 cases under the Standards of Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act in Hyderabad and 353 cases in Ranga Reddy district.
When Expresso approached the Bharat petrol pump at the RTC crossroads, the staffer was reluctant to fill petrol in a bottle. He said the management had ordered him to fill petrol only in vehicles. It was the same case at the Hindustan Petroleum (HP) filling station near Balkampet. “Whenever I want to fill petrol in a bottle to store in my autorickshaw, the petrol pump staff refuse,” said N Krishna Rao, an auto driver. When approached, the manager of the filling station said they did not manipulate meters. There might be a slight short measure due to low voltage, he explained. S A Huda, controller of Legal Metrology department told Expresso that his department had booked more than 9,266 cases in the state. He said even though customers were being robbed by the filling station managements, not many were approaching them with complaints.
Some just confronted the staff about the fraud and left it at that. The few who complained were not helpful during the investigation, he added.
He said there is concrete information that most petrol pumps in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district are dispensing lesser fuel than the metered quantity.
–Agencies