Oil dealers rue OMC high handedness

GUWAHATI, Oct 28: A principle of tural justice is that no person can judge a case in which they have an interest. All Assam Petroleum Dealers’ Association (AAPDA) has raised this moral question against Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

Talking to media in Guwahati on Sunday, AAPDA president Rajib Goswami said: “The amendment of marketing discipline guidelines (MDG), 2012 with effective from October 2, 2017 has severely affected oil trade. So much so that PSU OMCs have assumed powers of the State authorities and incorporated severe pelties on dealers for alleged irregularities in one-sided manner without following due process of law. PSU OMCs have become the judge of their own cause which isn’t permissible under the law. PSU OMCs violate all existing Acts and Rules by encroaching upon the authority of the government. They violate legal, statutory and constitutiol rights of dealers, including the fundamental rights guaranteed under Constitution of India.”

“As supply, distribution, handling, storage, sale and maintence of quality and quantity of products are governed by the provisions of the Petroleum Act, 1934 and the Rules made there under, the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Rules made there under, the Essential Commidities Act, 1955 and the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, there is no need for PSU OMCs to implement the MDG,” Goswami said, and added: “This is done illegally and without authority of law.”

Goswami said: “Even to maintain clean toilets in the RO which are open to public, OMCS have incorporated exorbitant pelty which is extended up to stop of sales up to seven days on dealers if the toilets are unclean though there are no standards/parameters for determining cleanliness fixed by any law in force. This is nothing but high handedness of the OMCs.”      

Reacting to the reported issuance of show-cause notices to dealers by some OMCs, Goswami requested them not to slap any panel actions against dealers, failing which the association would only be left with taking up the issue with democratic means. He also requested the OMCs to convene a meeting of dealers, OMCs and State authorities to sort out issues.