Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 26: The High Court today, in a major relief, directed the Central as well as State Governments to proceed ahead with the allotment process with regard to setting up of 632 petrol outlets in the State.
The Division Bench of Justice D S Thakur and Justice Tashi Rabstan while seeking response from the Central and State Governments with regard to setting up of 632 petrol outlets in the State made it clear that since there is not interim order passed by the Court as such the authorities are free to go ahead with the allotment process.
The DB, in the meantime, sought response by or before April 16 from the Ministry of Petroleum, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, Divisional Manager IOC Jammu, Territorial Manager BPCL Jammu, Commissioner/ Secretary Revenue Department, Deputy Commissioners of Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam, Doda, Ganderbal, Jammu, Kargil, Kathua, Kishtwar, Kulgam, Kupwara, Leh, Poonch, Pulwama, Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi, Samba, Srinagar, Shopian and Udhampur districts to the maintainability of PIL in which objection has been raised with regard to setting up of 632 outlets in the State.
Petitioner counsel submitted before the Court that the authorities have not made any survey before taking the said decision nor have followed the norms and procedure and guidelines as framed from time to time for setting up of new outlets.
The Central Government has decided to set up new 65000 petrol outlets across the country out of which 632 are being set up in the State for that advertisement notices have been issued and published in the month of November last year.
“…the decision of the authorities is against the interests of the State, people at large and the environment, land use, fruit industry, horticulture and agriculture industry of the State and grown more food policy, air pollution and water pollution”, read the PIL.
A direction has been sought in the PIL for quashing the decision of the authorities in so far in related to setting up of 632 outlets in the State so that the authorities are restrained from proceeding ahead to the advertisement notice as all the Deputy Commissioners be restrained to grant any kind of permission or ‘NOC’ for establishment of new retail petrol outlets.
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