Ashok Chawla, Chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) informed reporters that the
panel was in the process of sending fuel retailers an order related to a probe on the alleged cartelisation on petrol pricing.
The order will ensure that there is investigation to see what is happening in terms of petrol prices. Chawla informed this on the sidelines of a seminar organised by industry body Assocham. The CCI, which is empowered to ensure fair trading practices, had written to the oil ministry on the issue, but the latter said it had no role in deciding the price of petrol as it was a deregulated product.
It is alleged that state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) – Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum – are colluding to fix petrol price in the domestic market. These three firms have virtual monopoly on crude oil imports and on the distribution of petroleum products.
The panel would shortly finalise the probe on this matter, Chawla informed. On the issue of state miner Coal India’s alleged abuse of its near-monopoly position, Chawla said the CCI had received the investigation report from its director general.
The commission as a whole will look at the matter and then take a decision, Chawla said.
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