Flourishing fuel cartel Delhi team exposes skeletons
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 18 2010: Minutes after the Union Home Secretary asserted that the Government will not tolerate selling petroleum products in the black market as well as siphoning it off, the Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry led a team and raided godowns where petroleum products were suspected to have been stored for sale in black markets.

GK Pillai was speaking as chief guest at a development seminar held at Hotel Classic here today.

The development seminar for Imphal East district was jointly organised by the Union Home Ministry and DoNER Ministry.

GK Pillai asserted that selling petrol at Rs 110 per litre and LPG at Rs 1000 per filled cylinder is unacceptable.

Delhi team conducting a raid to seize fuel kept for sale in the black

"People too should not just give in to such unlawful practices", he stated.

The Home Secretary also advised concerned officials to maintain transparency in allocation and distribution of petroleum products.

Minutes later, an official team led by Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry Shambu Singh, who is also in charge of the North East, raided some shops/houses in Imphal East district where petroleum products were being hoarded or sold in black markets, thereby exposing the lapses and failures of the State Government.

The surprise raids covered different areas of Imphal East district including Sangakpham, Lamlong and Nongmeibung.

However, the raiding team could not seize any sizeable quantity of fuel though they came across small quantities of fuel being stored in some shops for sale in the black market.

At Nongmeibung, the team discovered a shop which reportedly supplied petrol and diesel to school vans and bus operators.

The team conducted the raids after receiving specific information about sale of petroleum products in black markets but it seemed many of the black marketers knew about the raids in advance.

It appeared they had already put away their merchandise before the team could reach them, said one of the Home Ministry officials who took part in the raids.

As compared to the quantity of petrol shipped to Manipur during August-October last year, the quantity of petrol brought to Manipur during the same period this year was greater even though there was blockade.

"It's unbelievable that people are not getting fuel oils.

There must be some rackets", the official asserted.

As against 1295 Kls of petrol shipped in to Manipur in August last year followed by 1539 Kls in September and 1532 Kls in October,1592 Kls of petrol were shipped in to Manipur in August this year followed by 1725 Kls in September and another 1826 Kls have been shipped in within October 14, revealed the official.

Talking about this revelation to The Sangai Express, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Y Erabot disclosed that those rackets dealing in petroleum products are not general public but security personnel.

Details such as names and quarters, of security personnel involved in black marketing petroleum products were given to the Home Secretary yesterday together with a representation to take up befitting actions.

"We do not have any power to act against those rackets.

But I have already asked the authority to pull up and punish those racketeers", he lamented.

After conducting raids, the team led by the Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry also met IOC officials.