Petrol Pump Allotment Scandal

Date: 
Monday, August 5, 2002

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

Petroleum Minister Should Resign

The huge scandal in the allotment of petrol pumps under the BJP-led regime has shocked even those who were aware of the large scale corruption patronised by the Vajpayee government. The fact that over 3850 allotments of petrol pumps and gas agencies have gone to the BJP party leaders, workers and their family members constitutes nothing but an institutionalised corruption and racketeering. The BJP-led government has far surpassed the scam perpetrated by Satish Sharma under the Congress regime.

It is imperative that the BJP-led government be made accountable for this shocking scandal. First of all, the Petroleum Minister, Ram Naik, has to resign. Secondly, all the dealership sanctioned through this nepotistic arrangement should be cancelled. And finally, there has to be a high level independent enquiry into the whole scandal and cases should be registered under the relevant provisions of the law against all those responsible for this loot of public funds.