Report

Govt Caves in After Congress Protest on Petrol Pump Scam

Condolence Message Text of the AICC press statement issued on 16 August, 2002 : The Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, has expressed her deep shock and distress at the tragic loss of thirty lives in a bus mishap in the Bandi Chechiyan area in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress President has extended her heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.

NEW DELHI : The Congress protest against the allotment of petrol pumps, gas agencies and kerosene outlets by the BJP-led NDA Government rattled the Treasury benches forcing the Prime Minister to order cancellation of these agencies issued after January, 2002.

The announcement on 5 August came after a sustained protest by the Congress and other Opposition parties in Parliament demanding the resignation of the Union Petroleum minister and an inquiry into the scam. The Prime Minister said now these agencies would be "auctioned" through competitive bidding.

Though the Congress welcomed the Government’s decision, it continued with its demand for the resignation of the Petroleum Minister, Ram Naik, as the cancellation was an "admission of guilt".

Describing the cancellation as a "glorious victory for the vibrancy of Indian democracy", the party spokesman, S. Jaipal Reddy, told the media that it was tantamount to an admission of guilt on the part of all concerned, particularly Mr. Naik, as the chairmen of the Dealership Selection Boards (DSBs) and members were appointed by him. He said the Congress would continue to press for a thorough probe into the scam. "There must be an enquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge assisted by the CBI. Also, the CBI must immediately seize all documents and scrutinize the assets and liabilities of the chairmen and members of the DSBs".

The Congress also released documentary evidence of how the process of allotting petrol pumps had been vitiated by the Government, which, according to the Rajya Sabha MP, Kapil Sibal, "is a national calamity". Providing details of the operation in the Aurangabad centre, where 119 pumps were allotted, Mr. Sibal said each deal was struck for Rs. 45 lakhs. With 60 such centres nation-wide, the scam, he said, was of the tune of Rs. 500 crores and the "money was meant for the BJP, its leaders, the DSB chairmen ..." In Aurangabad, the entire operation was run by a BJP activist, Nitinkumar Mohanlal Bora, who used his contacts with the sons of the DSB chairman for the centre — a retired district and sessions judge — to "facilitate" allocation of petrol pumps and kerosene/ gas agencies.

Describing this as the "biggest scam ever since Independence", Mr. Sibal said corruption had been institutionalized under the BJP regime. "The Government of India has been turned into a corporation where the BJP is the manager and the RSS workers the shareholders".

On the BJP allegation that several Congress workers had been allotted pumps and agencies in the same round of allotments, Mr. Reddy said: "Their cases, too, should be treated at par with the rest".

The petrol pumps scam echoed outside Parliament too. The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee on 4 August held a dharna to protest against alleged corruption by the BJP-led Government in the Centre in allotment of petrol pumps and gas agencies.

Stating that many of these outlets have been allotted to RSS and BJP leaders, the DPCC held the Union Petroleum Minister, Ram Naik, responsible for the scam. Further, the protesters, who were led by DPCC president Subhash Chopra sought the resignation of Mr.. Naik for the alleged irregularities.

Shouting anti-BJP and anti-Ram Naik slogans, the Congress leaders accused the BJP-led Government of corruption, favouritism and nepotism, stating the latest expose has further highlighted the corrupt faces in BJP.

Among those who participated in the dharna were senior Congress leaders Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler, Ram Babu Sharma, and Yoganand Shastri.

Stating that the Union Petroleum Minister’s largesse towards the RSS and BJP leaders was yet another instance of deep-rooted corruption perpetuated by BJP, the DPCC president sought a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation into the allotments, which were allegedly made from the quota for the families of Kargil martyrs.

Mr. Tytler in his speech accused the Petroleum Ministry of not taking any tangible steps for solving the CNG crisis in Delhi - which was causing harassment to both vehicle owners and commuters.