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Petrol station scam: SC notices to allottees

New Delhi, August 14
As the Union Government moved it for relief, the Supreme Court today issued notices to several allottees of petrol stations and LPG dealerships on the issue of transfer of all cases to the apex court or to a high court challenging the Centre’s decision to cancel such allotments.

Fixing August 26 for hearing the matter, a three-judge Bench comprising Mr Chief Justice B.N. Kirpal, Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat issued the notices after the petition was “mentioned” by Solicitor-General Harish Salve and advocate Sanjay Kapur.

In the wake of the controversy over the allotment of petrol stations and dealerships in LPG and kerosene, the Prime Minister on August 9 directed the cancellation of all allotments made by the Dealership Selection Boards (DSBs) since January 1, 2000.

The government had also decided that all annulled petrol stations and dealerships “may be auctioned on the basis of competitive bidding.” However, several petitions were filed in the High Courts of Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Allahabad, Madras, Kolkata, Gujarat and Karnataka and the two of them stayed the operation of the Centre’s directive in a few cases.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court today stayed Centre’s order cancelling allotments of petrol stations, LPG and kerosene dealerships in six more cases while posting till Friday the hearing on writ petitions by 13 allottees seeking similar relief in view of the government moving the Supreme Court.

Mr Justice Manmohan Sarin, who stayed the cancellation of the allotments of six persons in the morning, posted hearing on 13 more cases which was referred to him later in the day by the Chief Justice of the high court after those were mentioned before his Bench. PTI

‘SC moved for clubbing together allotment cases’
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 14
The Centre has moved the Suprem Court (SC) for clubbing together of all petitions challenging the cancellation of petrol stations and gas agencies so as to save time on litigation.

“We feel that since grievances of all those approaching the court (against the order) would be the same, we decided to request for clubbing together of all of them,” Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik told newspersons here.