MULTAN,Jan 11th: Petroleum products filling station are openly fleecing the customers by charging Rs.1.20 to 1.50 per litre besides less measurement and other deficiencies in Multan and other parts of Southern Punjab. However PSO’s company controlled filling stations were charging actual prices. Petrol pump owners said that they were paying extra freight because of oil supply from Mehmoodkot instead of Shershah oil-depot.The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has found serious foul-play by owners of over hundred petrol pumps of the country,involving at least two federal ministers and some others belonging to the ruling party and associated with the government, for overcharging and other deficiencies. The Ogra inspected hundreds of petrol pumps throughout the country randomly on 31-12-2009 and 01-01-2010 and over one hundred were found either overcharging or not having the stock or selling to specific customers. Well-placed sources in Ogra told this correspondent that a high-level meeting was held in the chairman Ogra’s office and it was decided to serve show cause notices on all these petrol pumps for imposition of penalty.
The meeting also covered the legal matters regarding serving of show cause notices, apprehending any possible escape-way for the players. “The Ogra is likely to conduct a press conference regarding the issue in a day or so,” said the sources.
“The random inspection of petrol pumps could not be done in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, and Karachi,” said the sources. Despite a substantial decrease in petroleum prices, both in the international and local markets, lubricant dealers are over-charging from the consumers on the prices of engine oil.The petroleum prices have come down from $150 per barrel in the international market during the last couple of years. The government has also reduced the prices of petroleum products. But, oil companies operating in the country did not pass on the reduction in prices to end-users in the country. They have turned blind eye towards reducing prices of engine/mobil oil, depriving consumers from the benefit of reduction in petroleum prices, particularly in the current high inflation phase.Prevailing prices of superior quality lubricant are Rs. 1540, Rs. 1150 and Rs.310 for a bottle of 4-liter, 3-liter and 1-liter respectively.While, Rs. 1260 and Rs. 955 are being charged for 4-liter and 3-liter, which is ranked in the “simple” category. Standard Engine Oil is being sold at a cost of Rs. 1120 for 4-liter bottle and Rs. 840 for 3 liters. Shahid Aziz, a car owner complained that oil dealers were not willing to bring down lubricant prices despite its downward trend in international and local markets.
He said when he argued with owners at petrol pumps about prices of engine/mobil oil, they were of the view that “what can we do when companies are not willing to reduce these.” Another consumer, Fakharuddin Siyal said, “the government should intervene and save the consumers from this injustice.” He said when affects of increase in its prices are passed on to consumers, then why benefits of decrease are not transferred to mitigate the sufferings of motorists. Several consumers in the two cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have demanded of the concerned to take prompt action on the issue to ensure substantial decrease in the prices of engine oil. When this agency tried to contact concerned officials in the petroleum sector, no one was available to comment on the issue.