Srinagar, Feb26: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Tuesday directed notices against central and state government authorities for deciding to set up 632 retail petrol outlets in the state in breach of the laid down norms and guidelines.
A two judge bench hearing a petition on the matter issued notices to Union of India through Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, besides the Government of J&K through its Chief Secretary and Deputy Commissioners of all the districts.
The petitioner, J&K Peoples welfare Organization, through its chairman Muzaffar Ahmad Khan, pleaded that the central government has decided to set up new 65000 petrol outlets in the country out of which 632 are for Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum have issued advertisement notices in this behalf on 25th of November the past year without conducting any survey before taking the decision.
The petitioner said the concerned authorities and agencies have also not followed the norms, procedures and guidelines as framed from time to time for setting up of new petrol outlets.
The decision is against the interests of the state and the people residing in it. It will seriously affect the environment, land use, fruit industry, horticulture and agriculture industry of the state and give a setback to the official policy of growing more food in the state, said the petition.
Air and water pollution will touch newer heights, added the petition.
It further said that the organization had filed a representation before the Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum and other concerned but no decision has been taken so far.
