Gandhinagar: The state weights and measures department organised a two-day special drive on July 18 and 19, during which inspections were carried out at 267 petrol and diesel pumps in various cities and highways across all 33 districts. Irregularities were found at 16 fuel stations, leading to legal action and fines, an official statement said on Sunday. The joint drive by the office of the controller of legal metrology, and the consumer affairs department included surprise inspections. The 16 pumps where irregularities were reported included three in Ahmedabad, two in Panchmahal, and one each in Vadodara, Surat, Kutch, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Botad, Surendranagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, and Morbi districts.During the drive, deputy controllers, assistant controllers, and inspectors from the weights and measures department enforced legal provisions, resulting in fines for the 16 fuel stations. Further investigations are ongoing, the statement added. Govt has said that the inspections revealed irregularities such as not maintaining standard capacity measures, failing to recalibrate or stamp capacity measures and dispensing units, and not displaying calibration certificates.The statement added that petrol and diesel pumps serve a large number of customers for daily needs and travel, and consumers are sometimes cheated in fuel purchases. To prevent such incidents and raise consumer awareness about their rights, the legal metrology department conducted this statewide campaign over two days to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, the statement added.
