NEW DELHI, July 4 : The government has announced 80 percent concession for women in license fees for licenses granted by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and has directed it to create a template of safety measures allowing retail outlets of petrol pumps to function in cases where there is habitation within 30-50 meters.
Chairing a consultative meeting of the stakeholders of petroleum, explosives, fireworks and other related industry leaders, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal stated that the “compliance of the petroleum and explosives industry must be balanced with public safety”.
The meeting was convened by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to solicit insights and feedback from the industry aimed at enhancing efficiency in the functioning of PESO.
Goyal announced 80 percent concession for Women Entrepreneurs and 50 percent for MSMEs in licensing fees for licenses granted by PESO.
He directed PESO to formulate guidelines in consultation with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) for creating a template of safety measures allowing retail outlets of petrol pumps to function in cases where there is habitation within 30-50 metres.
The Minister said that QR code for cylinders is incorporated in the draft Gas Cylinders Rules (GCR) and final notification will be out soon. He directed that a committee will be formed to study if a licence for explosives, transport and manufacturing can be given for ten years; a committee will examine the issue regarding increasing the validity of licence to 10 years as all licences except for explosives are given for a duration of ten years.
To further streamline processes, the Minister directed that efforts must be made to involve Third Party Inspection Agencies (TPIAs) in more areas. He said that online permission modules will be developed by PESO for few areas which are yet offline. Goyal directed that the process for filling up vacancies in PESO must be expedited.
Petrol pump licences are issued in Form XIV of Petroleum Rules 2002 whereas Licence for CNG dispensing facilities within petroleum retail outlets are issued in Form G of Gas Cylinders Rules. As both the licences are under different Rules and Acts, amendments in the licence in Form XIV are also required to be done after grant of licence for CNG facilities in the same petrol pump.
This amendment will be dispensed with by required changes in the modules. This will reduce the compliance burden as well as reduce the workload of PESO.
During the deliberations, the minister emphasized the simplification of processes and approvals in PESO and directed to adopt the best global practices for regulation of petroleum and explosives.
PESO officers were asked to strictly adhere to the timelines for clearing applications. It was also decided to issue FAQs for different approvals and licences. The Minister directed that NOC by District Authorities should be issued through Licensing System for District Authority (LSDA) online system. (UNI)
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