'Aastha' Project fails as adulterors find out other means to spike fuel
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 03 2017: The 'Aastha' Project, which was launched to discourage adulteration and provide quality petrol and diesel to consumers at retail outlets (petrol pumps) of the Indian Oil Corporation, has failed according to a reliable source .

The issue of adulteration has been affecting not only Manipur but other States too.

Under an initiative taken up by the main office of the IOC based in Guwahati, the 'Aastha' Project was launched across the North East considering it is the customers' right to know the quality of fuel .

Originally, the 'Aastha' Project was intended to give the benefit by providing customers a facility in each retail outlet to measure the density and temperature of fuel .

However, even if the customers have the rights and the facility to check the elements of density and temperature as well, it is not possible to know whether the fuel is adulterated or not.

This arises from the fact that adulterators have found the means to maintain the degree of these two elements even after adulterating the fuel .

According to a reliable source, there had been two instances last week, when two tankers were found carrying adulterated fuel, for which the density and temperature were checked following due processes .

The first case took place at one of the retail outlets in Uripok and the second took place, two days later, at another outlet at Mayai Lambi .

After transportation from Assam, the oil density and temperature of the two tankers were checked at the Malom depot and it showed there was no tampering for even a single point.

Subsequently, the tankers were sent to the retail outlets for distribution .

Another check of the density and temperature at the outlet was carried out and as expected, there was no sign of tampering or adulteration.

However, the smell was slightly different and upon grilling the drivers, they revealed that the fuel was adulterated .

The 'Aastha' Project has provisions only for measuring the density and temperature but nothing for the smell.

Although the two oil tankers were forbidden initially, they were allowed to distribute anyhow and the fuel has now been completely sold off.

Officially, the senior manager at the Malom depot of the IOC is not aware of these two incidents at the retail outlets.

These incidents have raised questions not only over the initiative of the IOC, but also on whether the whole project is merely a means to deceive the customers, the source mentioned.

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