Gandhinagar: Gujarat government today made announcement to exempt petrol and diesel dealers from seeking government’s permission for starting new petrol pumps for procurement, storage and distribution of the products.

The dealers need not seek the permission of Gujarat Government’s Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department under the Essential Commodities Procurement Storage and Distribution Order-1981. The dealers with temporary permits also need not seek permission for renewal.

However, the petrol pump owners will have to abide by the oil marketing companies’ dealership agreements and marketing discipline guidelines for distributing quality petrol and diesel. They will also have to take permission of Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation/ Department of Explosives.

The dealers will also have to maintain requisite records of procurement and distribution under the Gujarat Government’s Essential Commodities Dealers (Regulation) Order-1977 to maintain quality and to check any irregularity.

Similarly, the officers of the State Government would continue to have the powers to check and inspect petrol-diesel pumps stock, registers and documents and powers to seize stock.

A government note stated, ‘the decision as part of the tradition of Chief Minister’s endeavour for good governance is expected to usher in a revolution of sorts inoil distribution network, making it simpler.’

Gujarat thus joins 12 States and five Union Territories having already exempted the permit, The 12 States are being Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa, Odisha and Uttarakhand. The five UTs are Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar, Diu-Daman and Lakshadweep.

– DeshGujarat