The Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) has been accused of letting off four petrol pumps in Kavrepalanchok caught giving short measure, stating that there were only minor defects in their machines.

On December 4, the police had arrested the proprietors of the four gasoline stations. They are Aatma Ram Thapa of Ugrachandi Oil Store, Binod Banjara of Jay Ambe Traders, Rajendra Gautam of Mata Palanchok Fuel Centre and Basant Kisan Poudel of Panchkhal Oil Store.

The police had found these petrol pumps to be giving short measure to their customers by using a remote control to affect the flow in their digital equipment and using a double gear in their manual dispensing system. The police have extended a seven-day remand for further investigation.

The NBSM had reported that these petrol pumps had minor defects during a check done six months ago.

NBSM Director General Bishwo Babu Pudasaini said that minor malfunctions had been found in most of the petrol pumps while a few were found to have broken the security seal fixed by the authorities.

Although Mata Ugrachandi was found to be delivering 100 millilitres short for every 5 litres, the NBSM has not disclosed what action it had taken against the petrol pump.

NBSM officials have accused their higher-ups of issuing a report favouring the wrongdoers.

According to them, petrol pumps are required to obtain the permission of the authorities to conduct maintenance on their equipment. Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar KC said that they were carrying out further investigation against the accused petrol pumps. “Until the investigation is completed, we will not be able to say precisely how they had been ripping off their customers,” he said. A technical team is presently conducting a probe.

According to the NBSM, the petrol pumps had switched to a digital dispensing system four years ago.

The NBSM estimated that the gasoline stations had been delivering 30-70 millilitres short for every 1 litre, but it could not determine the exact quantity because they were out of stock.

Earlier, the police had arrested Ram Aadhar Sah, former chief of the NBSM, for acting in collusion with gasoline stations. Among the accused gas station owners, Ghanashyam Khatri of Narayan Oil Store, Thakur Bajgain of Ugrachandi Oil Store and the proprietor of Pashupati Oil are at large.