State government rides high on Pulsar to prevent fuel theft

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government for the first time will introduce a system called Pulsar to prevent theft of petrol and diesel from pumps. The decision comes on the back of the police busting several cases of petrol theft using cheat chips. The state government has also written to the Centre to make the use of Pulsar compulsory for all petrol pumps as it is claimed to be tamper-proof.

Food and civil supplies minister Girish Bapat who also heads the legal metrology department said that the state had taken steps to curb malpractices in fuel dispensing units.

"There are various measures we are taking to prevent malpractices of fuel dispensing units. We have asked petrol pumps to install the new system Pulsar to detect any theft. A system of auditing dispensing units has been introduced. We have started computerisation of the department so that inline filing of all applications regarding licences, registration and renewal can be carried out easily," he said.

Secretary of the legal metrology department Amitabh Gupta said that the state wanted all petrol pumps to install the Pulsar system which is a hardware.

"We want all that all petrol pumps install the system to detect theft. Petrol pumps have agreed to it and it will be done in a phase-wise manner. The audit of fuel dispensing units every year will give us an idea about any
malpractices," Mr Gupta said.

The Pulsar system at present is costly and hence, the government is not making it compulsory for petrol pumps. But prices will come down subsequently after which, it will be made compulsory, he said.

Thane police had busted a gang that was involved in fuel theft. The gang’s modus operandi was to install a chip in the dispensing machine.

The machine displayed the exact amount of fuel demanded by consumers however the quantity was less than the actual. The Centre has asked all states to take immediate measures to prevent this malpractice and stop fuel theft.