DPIIT launches paperless licensing for fuel retail outlets

New Delhi: The DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) has launched paperless licensing process for petroleum service stations. The move will impact retail outlets storing and dispensing petrol/diesel for motor conveyances. The DPIIT, which comes under the ambit of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, said on Monday that the initiative was launched through Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) under the Petroleum Rules, 2002.

The news comes shortly after paperless application and grant of licence process for road tankers for transportation of petroleum under the rules was launched earlier this month.

Under paperless process, 300 licences issued so far

"After the launch of paperless process, more than 300 licences have been issued," the DPIIT said in an official statement. When taken together, it said, licences for petroleum service stations and road tankers for transportation of petroleum account for more than 85 percent of the total licences under the rules.

"This initiative for petroleum pump licensing is directly going to benefit more than 70,000 petroleum pump owners and oil marketing companies," it added. The DPIIT said that an added advantage of this move is that the authenticity of the licence may be verified on PESO's portal. "This automation will greatly benefit the petroleum and gas industry," it said.

Promoting ease of doing business

The DPIIT said that this initiative is in line with the Centre's plan to promote ease of doing business and making processes paperless. "The process will include filing the applications online, online payment of fees which will go directly to the concerned officer's ID without any manual interface," it said.

Applicants, at each stage of processing of the application, will be intimated via SMS and e-mail, in case of discrepancy or grant of licence or approval.

These details will also be reflected in the applicant's profile. The entire process will not require any printing and physical dispatch of licence. The licence will be dispatched electronically, it said.

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