Jaipur, May 18 (IANS) All petrol pumps in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district were shut indefinitely from Monday after the Bhilwara Petroleum Dealer Society called a strike, protesting alleged “unethical” inspection practices and objectionable social media remarks targeting pump owners.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Society held on Sunday. According to Society Secretary Ashok Kumar Mundra, the sale of petrol and diesel at all fuel stations in the district was suspended from 9 a.m. on Monday.

The dealers have launched the strike in protest against alleged objectionable social media comments targeting petrol pump owners, as well as what they described as “unethical” inspection procedures that have damaged their reputation.

The Society said it would submit a memorandum to the district administration outlining its demands and grievances. Dealers claim the move was necessary to protect their credibility and public image after surprise inspections were conducted at several petrol pumps in Bhilwara on the directions of Rajasthan Minister for Consumer Affairs, Sumit Godara.

The inspections were carried out under the provisions of the Legal Metrology Act. During the inspections, officials allegedly detected a shortage of 30 millilitres of fuel in a standard 5-litre measurement. However, the Dealers’ Society has strongly contested the findings, arguing that the testing process was technically flawed and misleading.

According to the Society, the design of dispensing machines is such that even a discrepancy of 21 millilitres can cause the metre to display a reading of 30 milliliters. Dealers insist this does not necessarily mean consumers were shortchanged by the same amount.

The Society further clarified that government norms allow a permissible variation of up to 25 millilitres, either excess or short (+/-), in a 5-litre fuel measurement. In such cases, dealers cannot legally be held guilty of under-delivery, they said.

Petrol pump owners also objected to what they termed a “media trial”, alleging that the issue was widely circulated across print, electronic, and social media platforms before any legal determination of wrongdoing had been made. The dealers alleged that several unidentified individuals posted derogatory and baseless comments against petrol pump owners on social media, severely harming their reputation.

Society office-bearers, including President Zahir Hussain, Secretary Ashok Kumar Mundra, and Treasurer Dinesh Bhagat, said they have full faith in the judicial system but would not tolerate public defamation in the name of investigations. In their memorandum to the District Collector, the dealers demanded immediate legal action against those spreading false information and posting objectionable remarks on social media.

The Society stated that petrol pumps across Bhilwara would remain closed until their demands are addressed.

Earlier on Sunday, officials from the Rajasthan Ministry for Consumer Affairs said that four fuel nozzles at three petrol pumps in Bhilwara district have been sealed after inspections found discrepancies in fuel dispensing.

At Deepak Petroleum, Shiv Indian Oil, and Shri Shyam Filling Station, the pumps were reportedly delivering 34 to 90 millilitres less petrol than the prescribed quantity, they said in an official statement.

–IANS

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