Chitwan, November 25

Chitwan police sealed a petrol pump on the charge of black-marketing petroleum products in Bharatpur today.

The Department of Commerce sealed Ashtabhuja Oil Distributors of Hakimchowk, Bharatpur-10, which had hidden petroleum products with the intention of trading them illegally, a few days back.

A team led by the Department of Commerce and Supply Management Director Hari Narayan Belbase sealed the pump and arrested the proprietor Khimkanta Bartaula for further investigation.

After the petrol pump imported 9,000-litres petrol, the local administration had directed it to distribute 6,000 litres to the general public and the remaining 3,000 litres to the sensitive service sector, including ambulances and vehicles of security force, among others.

But the pump was found to have kept around 1,000 litres spare petrol to trade illegally. The department had initiated investigation upon receiving complaints from consumers.

According to Belbase, it was found that the petrol pump had not submitted to the calibration test, it lacked the master meter test of the tank and was not transparent about the import and distribution of petroleum products.

“A black-marketing and social crime case will be slapped against the petrol pump operator,” said Belbase.