AP to check short delivery of fuels, precious metals, essentials

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh government has initiated measures to ensure that there are no malpractices in delivery of fuel, essential commodities and precious metals like gold. It has issued instructions to stakeholders that they upgrade their tools of delivery within three months all across the state.

Legal metrology authorities met all stakeholders of various sectors and instructed them to upgrade their hardware and software used for dispensing various commodities, with particular emphasis on fuel. In response, 93 percent of fuel-dispensing units owned by state-owned oil marketing companies, like BPCL, HPCL and IOCL, have completed the exercise. The remaining could not do so for want of spare parts and other requirements.

However, privately owned oil marketing companies like Nayare are yet to complete the exercise. They have been given another three months’ time to upgrade their equipment.

It has been found that OMCs use fuel dispensing units manufactured by private firms. Authorities have thus asked these firms to beef up their security features, so that fraudulent practices in delivery of fuel could be avoided.

Sources say fuel station owners tamper display and keypads of their dispensing units to dupe vehicle owners through short delivery of 30–40 ml of fuel per litre. Manufacturers of fuel dispensing units have thus been asked to upgrade their security features within three months and ensure that their units are tamper proof.

Legal metrology joint controller B. Ram Kumar said, “A majority of fuel stations run by state-owned oil marketing companies have upgraded their security features. The problem is with dispensing units of private firms. These will have to be upgraded within three months to ensure that there are no malpractices.”

Authorities are also fixing jurisdiction of repairers of weights and measures before renewing their licences, as districts within the state have been restructured. They will be able to repair only those machines that are within their jurisdiction. The main objective of this exercise is to avoid short delivery of essential commodities and precious metals, so that customers within the state cannot be cheated.

In case of any manipulation of weighing / measuring machines, authorities will initiate action as per norms of Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and AP Legal Metrology Enforcement Rules, 2011.