Jharsuguda: Petrol pumps are supposed to provide a few free services to their customers like pressure check-up, first aid, clean toilets, telephone and drinking water facilities. But in this district, the picture is different.
The district has a total of 38 petrol pumps including those in the blocks. Indian Oil Corporation has the maximum number of 20 pumps while Bharat Petroleum Corporation limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Reliance have 11, six and one pumps respectively.
It was alleged that customers do not get the free services from any of these petrol pumps despite the agreement a petrol pump owner has signed with the nationalised and private companies to provide such services.
While a few customers are aware of some free facilities at petrol pumps, most are ignorant about this. Taking the advantage of the people’s ignorance, the owners, after providing some facilities only for a few months from the opening of the pump, stop them one after the other with impunity.
Although petrol pumps routinely avoid providing free services to customers, they spent a lot of money on doing up their pumps before the visit of Union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan Wednesday.
When asked, Beheramal IOCL petrol pump owner Dasaratha Sharma said his unit provides all the agreed free services.
District supply officer PDM Khosla said the supply department’s duty is limited to checking the quality and quantity of fuel. They cannot check whether the pumps are providing free services, he added. PNN
