Mumbai: As Maharashtra Government cracks down on the oil mafia in the wake of gruesome murder of Additional District Collector Yashwant Sonawane, a 15-year-old report on curbing oil adulteration menace prepared by a former IAS officer is gathering dust at the state secretariat.
"I submitted the report to the Government in 1995-96. Nothing has been done so far," Leena Mehendale, the then Nashik Divisional Commissioner said.
Sonawane was burnt alive by the oil mafia in Malegaon, Nashik district, on Tuesday for having cracked down on them.
"The report came to Mantralaya (secretariat). All that we learnt was that no action was going to be taken (on the report)," said Mehendale, who retired last year as Additional Chief Secretary. The then Dhule District Collector had initiated the report, she said. "I expanded the report, went into details.
Immediately after the report was submitted, Dhule Collector was transferred. After four months, I was also transferred." The report has noted that oil adulteration and pilferage were rampant in the region where Sonawane was killed. It has also suggested review of licenses of vendors.
"I recommended that petrol and kerosene licenses should not be given to the same person," she said, adding that the government has turned a blind eye towards this suggestion, leading to rampant adulteration. Mehendale had discussed the issue with the then Law Secretary of Maharashtra, seeking an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). She suggested that rationing inspectors should get the right to file cases in court.