HC closes PIL on LPG distributors
Chennai:The Madras High Court has closed a PIL seeking a direction on restraining LPG distributors and dealers of oil companies from forcing consumers to purchase other materials such as tubes for connecting gas stoves to get the connections. The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, before which the PIL filed by ‘Coimbatore Consumer care’ came up recently, closed the petition after hearing counsel for Hindustan Petroleum, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum, who submitted that necessary remedial steps were taken and instructions already issued to dealers in the matter. Counsel for the oil companies further submitted that the copy of instructions issued to the dealers will be handed over to the counsel for the petitioner. The matter pertained to various LPG distributors and dealers asking consumers to purchase other products such as stoves and allied materials from them to get the gas connections. (PTI)
Deputy collector caught taking bribe
Ahmedabad: A deputy collector posted in Gujarat’s Jamnagar district was arrested on Thursday while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1.6 lakh, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials said. Based on the complaint filed by one Rajnikant Tankaria, a resident of Dhrol town in Jamnagar, ACB officials laid a trap and nabbed Deputy Collector of Dhrol Dinesh Hadia red-handed at his residence this morning. In his complaint, Tankaria stated that he and his partners owned a piece of land in Jodia taluka of the district and wanted to convert it into Non-Agricultural (NA) land. For the purpose, Hadia, who is also the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in Dhrol, demanded a bribe of Rs 1.6 lakh, a release issued by ACB said. A trap was laid as Tankaria visited Hadia’s official residence today to hand over the amount and the officer was nabbed. Hadia, a class I officer, has been booked under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, it said. (PTI)
