Adulteration in oil and petrol widespread: LS

New Delhi, Mar 21 (UNI) Members in the Lok Sabha today demanded that the proposed Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board should look into the widespread adulteration of petrol and kerosene in the country.

They also called for a change in the composition of the proposed Board to include technical members, and a representative of the consumers.

They said the Board should have its headquarter either at Mumbai or Ahmedabad or in a state where oil and gas were located instead of at Delhi as proposed in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Bill, 2006.

Resuming the debate on the Bill, Mr Rasa Singh Rawat (BJP) said exploration and production of oil and gas should be brought within the purview of the Board.

Mr K S Rao (Cong) said it was not clear how the Board proposed to check adulteration, and demanded technical experts as members on the Board.

Dr Sujan Chakroborty (CPM) said a committee should be set up to recommend how oil and gas prices could be made affordable to people.

Mr Brajesh Pathak (BSP) alleged that kerosene depots and petrol pumps were the hotspots of corruption, and the Board should look into it. He also wanted a check on the crores of rupees spent on advertisement for the sale of oil. Money, he said, should instead be spend on advertisements for saving oil.

Mr Kashiram Rana (BJP) said the Board should have at least one consumer representative as a member, and the states where oil and gas were located should have the right to distribute them.

Mr L Rajagopal (Cong) asked why the proposed regulator was named a Board and not an authority which would have more powers, and why it was proposed to be headquartered in Delhi and not Mumbai, Ahmedabad or any other place where oil and gas were located. Mr Rajiv Ranjan (JD-U) said the Bill should be sent again to the standing committee to incorporate relevant changes such as including only petroleum sector experts in the Board.

Mr Prabodh Panda (CPI) wanted to know why the appellate tribunal was included in the new Bill which was not there in the original Bill.

Mr Kiren Rijuju (BJP) said the Board should be heaquartered in the Northeast for a change or at least a branch office be opened at Guwahati.

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