The Hindu --Report on oil mafia gathering dust at Maharashtra Secretariat

Report on oil mafia gathering dust at Maharashtra Secretariat
The Hindu Mumbai, January 30, 2011 PTI
As Maharashtra government cracks down on the oil mafia in the wake of gruesome murder of Additional District Collector Yashwant Sonawane, a 15-year-old report on curbing oil adulteration menace prepared by a former IAS officer is gathering dust at the State secretariat.
“I submitted the report to the Government in 1995—96. Nothing has been done so far,” Leena Mehendale, the then Nashik Divisional Commissioner, told PTI.
Sonawane was burnt alive by the oil mafia in Malegaon, Nashik district, on Tuesday for having cracked down on them.
“The report came to Mantralaya (Secretariat). All that we learnt was that no action was going to be taken (on the report),” said Ms. Mehendale, who retired last year as Additional Chief Secretary.
The then Dhule District Collector had initiated the report, she said. “I expanded the report, went into details.

Immediately after the report was submitted, Dhule Collector was transferred. After four months, I was also transferred.”
The report has noted that oil adulteration and pilferage were rampant in the region where Sonawane was killed. It has also suggested review of licenses of vendors.
“I recommended that petrol and kerosene licenses should not be given to the same person,” she said, adding that the government has turned a blind eye towards this suggestion, leading to rampant adulteration.

Ms. Mehendale had discussed the issue with the then Law Secretary of Maharashtra, seeking an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). She suggested that rationing inspectors should get the right to file cases in court.
The retired bureaucrat said: “The other day, I saw on TV Congress leader Rahul Gandhi answering a query on my report. Rahul said he wants to bring in systemic changes and transform the system. This is a welcome announcement, but if you want to bring in changes, there is a need to change the procedure.”

“In case of such reports, the least that can be done is to call the officer concerned to Mantralaya for consultation, instead of dumping the report in cold storage.”
“A final decision on the report can’t be taken by the officer. It has to be taken by the Cabinet...by the Minister concerned”, she said.

Ms. Mehendale prepared the report based on the then Dhule Additional Collector’s monthly figures on fuel adulteration.
She examined two years’ audit of fuel consumption and was shocked to see no proper records were being kept by kerosene and petrol dealers.
Ms. Mehendale said she had discussed the issue with the then Law Secretary.
Keywords: Sonawane murder, Maharashtra oil mafia