Bihar, 22nd January 2023: Cheaper petrol and diesel are being bought and sold from Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh at Bagaha in West Champaran. Petrol is cheaper by Rs 13.08 and diesel by Rs. 6.54 in Kushinagar. Diesel is priced at Rs 96.59 and petrol at Rs 109.96 per litre at petrol pumps in Bihar, while petrol is priced at Rs 96.88 and diesel at Rs 90.05 per litre in Uttar Pradesh.
Half a dozen pumps, including Belwania and Bodhi Chhapar petrol pumps of the Hanumanganj police station area of Uttar Pradesh bordering Bagaha, fill gallons of diesel and petrol from two-wheelers and four-wheelers to Paniyahwa, Valmiki nagar, Naurangia, Laukaria, Semra, via river station bridge, is being sold in Dhanha, Piprasi, Bhithan, Thakrahan.
This process has been going on for the last year. Every day three to four thousand litres of petrol and diesel are smuggled. The arrival of diesel increases further at the time of irrigation. There is a system of checking on the border of both states, but due to a lack of effectiveness, smuggling is not being controlled.
All the people of the border villages of Bihar bring consignments of diesel and petrol from UP in two to three rounds every day. While there is a police check post near Dhanha Gautam Buddha Setu and Nainha Dhala of Nadi police station, a large consignment of diesel and petrol is still reaching the region of Bihar from Uttar Pradesh.
There are six petrol pumps in the border area of UP. There is one pump in Thakraha, three in Madhubani, and two in Bhitha. Petrol pumps in Bihar are being closed due to diesel petrol being cheaper in UP. Due to the non-sale of diesel petrol at the petrol pump operated in Thakraha, it has been closed for the last two months. Pump owner Raghvendra Singh said that petrol is cheaper by Rs 13.08 and diesel by Rs 6.54 in UP. Because of this customers do not get oil filled in Bihar. One tanker of diesel and petrol was being sold in a month. Due to this, he had to bear a loss of about 40 thousand rupees every month. Due to continuous losses, the petrol pump had to be closed.
Two months back, the bike driver was carrying petrol in a gallon on the Dhanha-Ratwal road. Meanwhile, a car coming from the front caught fire as soon as it collided. Both vehicles were engulfed in flames. The car riders were somehow pulled out safely by the local people. The burnt vehicles are still lying on the spot.
Ramnath Yadav, a resident of Dhanha village, says that the petrol pump of UP is 11 km away from here. Diesel consumption increases at the time of crop sowing and irrigation. In such a situation, the people of the village buy 100 or 200 litres of oil according to their requirements. Due to the cost of oil in Bihar, someone buys oil from here only in an emergency.
Madhubani resident Rakesh Chaudhary says that the distance of UP’s petrol pump from here is 12 km. We needed 100 litres of diesel for irrigation in the Rabi season. 600 rupees have been saved by bringing oil from UP.
“It is an offence to carry or sell diesel and petrol openly. They can be sold only at petrol pumps. Action will be taken against those who are involved in smuggling diesel and petrol. Soon, for this, an investigation campaign will be conducted on the roads connected to UP,” Anupama Singh said.
“Orders have been issued to SHOs of all police stations to stop the smuggling of diesel and petrol from UP. Legal action will be taken if caught,” said Kiran Kumar Gorakh Jadhav, SP.