BHOPAL: A petrol pump in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district has been sealed after adulterated diesel from the outlet allegedly caused the breakdown of 19 vehicles in Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav’s convoy on Thursday night.
The incident happened hours before the CM was to inaugurate the innovative Regional Industry, Skill and Employment (RISE) Conclave in the same western MP district on Friday afternoon.
Drivers of the SUVs (brought from Indore) were forced to push the vehicles off the road, after the vehicles began jerking and stalling one after another.
While the local administration scrambled to ensure that a replacement fleet was arranged at the earliest, the officials also assessed the possibility of adulterated diesel filled from a local petrol pump having caused the problem.
As per sources more than 250 litres of diesel were filled in the vehicles from a local petrol pump. Though the petrol pump staff denied the possibility of supplying adulterated diesel, the officials’ hunch got strong after a local resident showed them a bottle filled from the same pump – which had clearly visible layers of diesel as well as water.
The food and civil supplies department staff immediately collected samples and analysed them, confirming the presence of water in the diesel supplied by the concerned pump.
“Entire matter is being probed, though the exact quantity of water cannot be specified immediately. The stock at the pump is being checked and findings will be summed up in the detailed report to the Ratlam district collector,” a senior official of the food and civil supplies department Anand Gole said.
With more than 16 hours left for the CM’s actual visit, a replacement fleet was arranged from Indore within a few hours.
According to an official statement issued by the Ratlam supplies officer, “Heavy rains throughout the day caused water to seep into the diesel tank of the petrol pump in Dosigaon area of Ratlam. The vehicles forming the carcade also broke down due to the presence of water in the diesel. On directions of the additional district magistrate (ADM) a thorough probe was conducted by a team of officials. During the probe, the density and stock at the pump was examined, followed by the confiscation of 5995 litres petrol and 10,657 litres diesel."
"The BPCL sales officer also reached the concerned petrol pump and joined the probe. Three samples have been sent for lab testing at BPCL’s lab in Manglia (Indore). The pump has been duly sealed and a case registered against the pump’s owner and its manager under provisions of the Essential Commodities Act 1955,” the source added.
With the quirky incident taking place hours before the CM’s visit, while the VIP visit remained unaffected, it rendered the opposition Congress ammo to target the government.
Sharing a picture of the incident, state Congress spokesperson and ex-MLA Shailendra Patel posted on X (formerly twitter), “Adulterated diesel in the CM’s convoy! 19 vehicles stalled, this is the government they are running. When the CM is himself being cheated, imagine the condition of security, facilities and system for the common man. This isn’t an ordinary incident, this exposes the rot in the system.”