The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Supply petrol as per customers’ choice, says High Court

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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Supply petrol as per customers’ choice, says High Court

Special Correspondent

Records submissions of Central government and oil companies

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed oil marketing companies to supply petroleum products to customers according to their choice.

Disposing of a petition filed by R. Balasubramanian, an advocate, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.K.Ganguly and Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla, said in view of the stand taken by the Centre and the fact that availability of petroleum products had considerably eased, the court need not go into the matter further, except directing the oil companies to supply petrol to customers as per the customers’ choice.

In his petition, Mr. Balasubramanian said after hiking the prices of diesel and petrol, ordinary petrol was being sold to customers in the name of branded fuel at high rates. He sought a direction to the oil companies in Tamil Nadu to supply ordinary petrol and diesel to dealers. Ordinary petrol should not be passed off as branded varieties.

When the matter came up, the Assistant Solicitor-General of India, P. Wilson, appearing for the Petroleum Ministry, said the Centre had already directed the public sector oil marketing companies that they should take urgent steps to ensure adequate supply and availability of both unbranded and branded variants of petrol and diesel at the retail outlets across the country. The oil companies had also been directed to take steps to ensure that there were sufficient stocks of petroleum products at different locations in the country to take care of any contingency.

K. Kumar, counsel for oil companies, which had impleaded themselves as parties in the case, submitted that the position of availability of petroleum products had eased considerably.

Recording the submissions of the Central government and oil companies, the Bench said it was disposing of the writ petition.

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