21 barrels of suspected ATF seized

Twenty one barrels of suspected aviation turbine fuel (ATF) which were being diverted to illegal selling points have been seized at a secluded place in Bagalur near here, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundurao said today.
The seizure was made last week and the officials also confiscated an abandoned vehicle with some barrels and filed an FIR in the case, Gundurao told reporters.
On June 20, the officials had seized 12 ATF tankers from the unloading point at Devanhalli airport. These tankers had just unloaded the ATF at the facility being managed by a joint venture company of the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation.

The Legal Wing of the Metrology Department completed the tests on the tankers yesterday and found that most of them had failed the calibration, he said.
"Few tankers have shown shortages in the range of about 150 litres and few others have shown excess in the range of about 70-80 litres," Gundurao said.
The minister said the tests revealed that the difference in calibration was mainly due to tampering of spring plates in these vehicles. The tampering was done in such a way that the vehicles show excess quantity while unloading and possible short quantity at the time of loading, he said.

The Minister said their officers also found that most of the vehicles were tampered by extending the chasis of the vehicle beyond permissible limits.

Tampering was an offence under the Motor Vehicles Act and makes the vehicle liable for cancellation of fitness certificate and possible registration certificate. According to the Transport Department, the tampering makes the vehicle unsafe to ply on the roads, Gundurao said.
Explosives Department has also been informed of the matter and prima facie there is violation of the NOC given by it for these vehicles.
He said oil companies do not use GPS tracker devices on the vehicles and they were advised to do so immediately at a meeting with their officials.

The government was waiting for the test result of fuel tanks of the vehicles on suspicion that ATF was being mixed along with diesel, Gundurao said.