IOC allots petrol pump to woman after foiled immolation

New Delhi, Dec 23 (UNI) Merely within 48 hours after the foiled immolation attempt by a woman, state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) today allotted the petrol pump to her.

''IOC has reallotted the license of the petrol pump to the 25-year-old Laxmi, earlier issued in the name of her father in Agra,'' IOC sources said here.

The woman tried to immolate herself right in front of Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora who was addressing a press conference in the high security Press Information Bureau (PIB) here on December 20.

Mr Deora later said he would seek a thorough CBI inquiry into the incident.

As the Minister and mediapersons watched in disbelief, CISF personnel rushed and prevented her from lighting the match stick.

Laxmi was nursing a grouse against the authorities for having terminated the the license of the petrol pump outlet sanctioned to her father who had lost his son Harinder Singh during the Kargil war.

The retail outlet was sanctioned at Jattari, Agra under the defence quota.

IOC had terminated the license after inspections at the petrol pump and allegedly found that the fuel being sold from the gas station was adulterated.

Based on the marketing discplinary guidelines, a showcause notice was issued and later the retail outlet was terminated on September 18 this year.

Laxmi, along with her mother, had met the Minister several times in the past.

Even in today's press conference, she raised the issue and the Minister said this was not the right forum to take up the matter and assured her that he would give her another hearing soon.

Laxmi, however, alleged that the IOC was coercing her to appoint one H P Singh as the manager of the retail outlet as a condition to commissioning it.

She also alleged that H P Singh was acting as a conduit between local oil company officials in running the benami operation of several dealers of defence category and in adulteration of fuel.

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