(ET)
The petrol pump chip scam could extend beyond Lucknow, with the Uttar Pradesh police suspecting that the mastermind of the racket is a New Delhi-based gang that’s been around for over five years. The roles of the UP Weights & Measures Department and state-owned oil companies are also in the spotlight.
All states have been advised to conduct surprise inspections at petrol pumps and check for the chips, which cut the outflow of fuel by as much as 10%, petroleum ministerDharmendra Pradhan said in New Delhi on Monday.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal too ordered surprise inspections at petrol pumps, saying any outlet involved in cheating customers would be sealed. There are 54,000 filling stations operated by state-owned companies across the country. A top official in the UP Special Task Force probing the matter told ET the mastermind of the scam is a New Delhi-based gang and the STF is hunting for the member
