New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to consider a petition seeking direction for the government to ensure transparency and fairness at petrol pumps across the country.
A Bench headed by Justice Sikri directed the Centre and petroleum ministry to consider as representation, a petition by advocate Amit Sahni to check to cheat at petrol pumps.
The plea filed in public interest has alleged that petrol pumps cheat customers by dispensing lesser fuel by installing a “microchip” to speed up the pulse meter or by any other method.
“The petrol pump owners use a hyper-technical mechanism for cheating customers by using a micro-chip for vending lesser fuel. At some places, remotes are used for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the measurement depending upon the customer’s attitude,” the petition said.
Additionally, Sahni said, “Cheating at petrol pumps across the country is rampant to such an extent that as per news report, the petroleum minister had advised state governments to conduct surprise inspections at petrol pumps and check for the chips, which cut the outflow of fuel by as much as 10 per cent”.
The plea claimed that as per news reports Delhi ranked third in petrol pumps frauds, with Maharashtra topping the list followed by Uttar Pradesh.
Sahni suggested replacing the black hose pipes used for fuel vending at petrol pumps with a transparent pipe so that the consumers can see the passage of fuel onto their vehicles.
He further suggested transparent dispensers with measurements may be installed or connected along with the fuel vending machines in such a manner that fuel is first filled in the transparent dispenser first and then transmitted to the vehicle through a transparent hosepipe.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]