Petroleum trade, where volumes matter most, cash and carry is the principle, and daily transactions exceed several lakhs of rupees, is feeling the heat as election authorities go about implementing the Model Code of Conduct.
“Three incidents of petrol bunk staff carrying the previous day’s cash collection stopped en route and questioned by officials have been brought to our notice,” says K.Suresh Kumar, vice-president, Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association (TNPDA).
All of them, less than a week of the code coming into force, were reported from north Chennai areas such as Red Hills and GNT Road. The staff were let off after they furnished documents to establish that the money was being taken to be deposited in bank. There may have been more incidents that would not have been conveyed to the Association, he says.
Petrol bunks, sources in the trade add, are likely to be suspected since the practice, especially among outlets on highways and at locations with no bank branches nearby, is to keep the day’s collection and deposit in the bank next day. The distance between petrol bunks and banks in rural, semi-urban locations varies from one to 15 km.
Underscoring the need for the Election Commission to be more elaborate in terms of documents that can be furnished by the outlets, Mr.Suresh says the Association has advised the bunks to ensure that the staff carry the filled-in bank challans, with breakup denomination-wise.
Keeping the cash in safe and going several times to bank in a day increases the vulnerability of the dealers to robbery. While the daily cash collection of high selling dealers (outlets with sale of over 500 KL a month, invariably on highways and diesel-oriented) is in the range of Rs.12-20 lakh, the sale of petrol bunks in the city generates Rs.8-10 lakh cash daily. The TNPDA, he adds, was likely to discuss the issue at its general body meeting on March 22 and if need be also petition the Election Commission. Oil companies, he replied to a query, had not given any instruction on this issue but asked them to maintain adequate stocks in view of demand likely during elections.
