Status quo in setting up fuel station along highway

A division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice VM Velumani ordered notice to the Union Ministry, National Highways Authority of India and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation returnable within two weeks. The bench also linked the plea along with a batch of similar petitions seeking to adhere to IRC guidelines, which prohibits setting up fuel stations in prohibited areas or near residential colonies, hospitals, schools and waterbodies.

Appearing for the petitioner M Justin John Kennedy, advocate VBR Menon submitted that the approval for the fuel station in Palepalli village in Bargur taluk was granted without conducting any site inspection and relying on false particulars provided by Hindustan Petroleum in the application seeking NOC for access to NH-219.

Pointing out that Google map and plot sketch of the proposed site showed that it failed to comply with the IRC norms that are binding and mandatory, the plea alleged that the proposed site was at a distance of about 200 metres from a road intersection as against the minimum prescribed distance of 1,000 metres and also does not satisfy the prescribed minimum land area required.