Imphal, June 19 2010: A petrol pump was closed down by an order of the state consumer affairs, food and public distribution minister, Y Erabot today following detection of irregularities in the distribution of vehicle fuel to the public.

The minister also seized registration books and other documents of the Tidim Service Station located at Konjeng Hajari Leikai along the Tidim road when he personally inspected the service system and detected the irregularities.

Petrol and diesel were distributed procured on the NH-53 during the period from June 4 to 10 in some selected oil pumps.

When the minister inspected the distribution of the fuel at Tidim Service Station, the pump was found closed at about 4.20 pm on the excuse of exhausting the stock.

Disbelieved with the exhaustion of stock, consumers who were in long queue with night halt rose up and stormed the oil pump.

They lodged complaint that the pump did not distributed all the stock as there was gulf of different between the given quantity and distributed quantity.

Later, with the strong pressure from the customers, the level of the stock in the oil tank was measured which found having a stock of about 216.90 litre.

On hearing the news of erupting controversy, minister Erabot rushed to the spot and inspected the stock position of the pump.

He also compared the quantity of the fuel quantity at the stock and distributed quantity which found issued of 881 litre.

If compared with the allotted quantity, the pump has to have a stock of 1199 litre but found only 216 litre in the stock.

During the checking 50 litre was also found taken away by police in unauthorized manner.

The minister speaking to the media said that any of the retail pumps could not do malpractice in the distribution of fuel allotted to them for selling to the customers and appropriate action will be taken against those found doing irregularity in the distribution.

He also seized all the documents related with allotment of fuel to the pump by the authority and distributed by the pump authority to the people.

Enquiry will be conducted and if any malpractice found, appropriate action will be taken up, the minister assured.

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