Kerosene black marketeers in Gzb to be booked under Gangster Act

District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey on Friday warned fair price shop and wholesale dealers here against black marketing of kerosene, saying those found indulged in the illegal act will be booked under the stringent Gangster Act.

The DM, who was addressing wholesale kerosene dealers in the conference hall of the collectorate, emphasised the oil must be distributed fairly and with transparency so that it must be within the reach of the poor.

He said black-marketing of kerosene would be considered an economic offence.

"I would conduct sudden raids on the fair price shops to verify the distribution, specially in the villages. In August, if any case of black marketing of kerosene will come into my knowledge, the fair price shop dealers, wholesale oil traders and officers of the supply department would be booked under the Gangster Act," Pandey said.

He noted that the poor are not getting the fuel properly while it is being used for adulteration in petrol and diesel.

The DM said wary of stringent action, nine wholesale oil traders have proposed to surrender a total of 336 kilolitres of kerosene from the quota allotted to them.