Director general of Vigilance, Harish Gupta said surprise inspections would continue across the state to ensure compliance and accountability in fuel retail operations
Vijayawada: In a major crackdown on fuel stations to check irregularities, the state Vigilance & Enforcement (V&E) department conducted statewide surprise raids on Saturday.
The raids were done in coordination with the civil supplies and legal metrology departments, following complaints of fuel flow tampering through electronic chip manipulation. Some 26 fuel stations were raided.
Director general of Vigilance, Harish Gupta said surprise inspections would continue across the state to ensure compliance and accountability in fuel retail operations.
During the inspections, officials noticed significant violations, including tampering of pulser boards in dispensing units. At a petrol bunk in Sanapa village in Atmakur mandal of Anantapur district, extra electronic chips were found installed in two dispensing units. These were suspected of diverting the original circuit to show wrong reading.
In Rajahmundry, a fuel variation of 20 milliliters per 5 liters was detected, while two petrol nozzles were found dispensing 50ml and 40ml less per 5 litres. Similar shortages were identified in Eluru, where a deficit of 30ml per 5 litres was noted.
In Nellore, where 1 litre of petrol was being dispensed with a cut of 40ml. Additionally, erratic fuel delivery was observed in a dispensing unit in Kurnool.
Apart from fuel flow tampering, the teams identified multiple violations at petrol bunks, including non-functional free air machines, improper maintenance of labour records, and the absence of mandatory signage such as price boards, complaint boxes and posters related to fuel adulteration checks.
Further lapses included failure to display explosive safety rules, lack of first aid kits, unclean toilets and untidy premises littered with garbage.
The operation involved 36 teams that inspected 73 petrol bunks across the state. As a result, officials registered six cases under the Legal Metrology (LM) Act, 2009, and three cases under Section 6(a) of the Essential Commodities (EC) Act, 1955.
They seized 14,503 litres of petrol, 14,585 litres of diesel, and 561 litres of 2T oil, with a total estimated value of Rs.32.77 lakh in Nellore.
Additionally, three pulser boards—two tampered and one original—worth `75,000 were seized in Ananthapuramu district, bringing the total seizure value to Rs.33.77 lakh.
In Kurnool, the assistant controller of legal metrology booked a case under Section 8/25 of the LM Act, 2009, imposing a penalty of Rs.25,000 on the petrol bunk dealer, which was subsequently paid.
