---------------------------------------------------------------------- Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660 Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Press Clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ The Pilferage of Petroleum Hydrocarbons ------------------------------------------ by Nandkumar Kamat Goa is running a parallel economy worth hundreds of crores of rupees based on pilferage of petroleum hydrocarbons mostly motor spirits (petrol, diesel and kerosene), naptha and industrial solvents. Two years ago the Vasco harbour police had unearthed siphoning of petrol from the oil tanks. The ex-CM Mr Parrikar had personally visited the place and commented that the pilferage could be worth crores of rupees. Goa police, especially the crime branch and the newly formed Marine branch need to be complimented for exposing a diesel pilferage racket at Santo Estevam. Only the tip of this mafia has been revealed. The real kingpins with powerful political connections and enviable social patronage are yet to be traced and arrested. The arrests made by the Goa police at Akhado show that this clandestine activity was going on for years under the very nose of the captain of ports, the local police stations, the civil supplies department and the diesel suppliers. The economic dimensions of this racket are very serious and if we trust the statistics given by the Goa barge owners association (GBOA) then for the past eight years the loss to the barge owners had been to the tune of at least a hundred crore rupees. According to GBOA an estimated thirty-seven thousand litres of diesel is unaccounted every day. They run a fleet of 185 barges which transport the ore from various hinterland loading points to the Marmagoa port through the inland waterways. These waterways are Goas economic veins. The barge industry is the backbone of Goas mining industry and its smooth operations are extremely important for sustainable growth of Goas economy. Hundreds of workers are employed on the barges. They are doing an excellent job by transporting the ore. But some black sheep have entered this area. What the residents from Ghogol, Zuarinagar and Davorlim were doing at Akhado, a small historic and scenic island, full of traditional fishermens hamlets? The GBOA suspects that there are 22 diesel pilferage points along the Mandovi, Zuari waterways where the diesel supplied to the barges is pilfered and then sold in the local black market. In June 1984 a tragedy had struck Markaim village. An overloaded canoe transporting farm labourers from Markaim to Dongri had capsized in the river drowning 35 persons. The cause was traced to a barge anchored in the middle of the river. Apparently it was involved in pilferage of the diesel. The canoe was overturned when it struck the underwater rope. People and the government forgot the incident and after a few voices of concern were raised about the petroleum pilferage and adulteration mafia, emphatic and decisive action was not taken. The GBOA information points to the involvement of several villages along both the banks of the inland waterways. The crime branch need to gather field intelligence independently about the movement of tankers, canoes fitted with pumps and the locations to hide the pilfered petroleum products. This is a well oiled racket. Many years ago the villages surrounding the Bambolim military camp had become the dens of petroleum product pilferers. The heavy military trucks used to visit certain spots where diesel used to be pumped out. This used to be then sold at cheaper rates to prospective buyers. Unofficially along all the national and state highways of Goa and the district roads near the urban areas petrol and diesel adulterated with cheap industrial solvents is being sold liberally in plastic containers. Naturally the source can be traced to the black market. This is a very serious issue. GBOA needs to be congratulated for taking the initiative to study the trail of the alleged criminals who were involved in the pilferage of the diesel quota supplied to the ore transporting barges. GBOA has alleged that annually the pilferage cost them Rs 10-12 crores. This is a huge loss, several times the revenue contributed by the barge owners to the government by way of taxes and fees. Recently the mine owners have also been alarmed by the theft of the iron ore. The GBOA, the Marine wing of Goa Police and the captain of ports would have to come out with a full proof surveillance,monitoring and verification system to curtail the pilferage. The fisheries department would have to investigate the possibility of sale of the diesel pilfered from the barges to the mechanized fishing vessels. There is a very strong possibility of such a trade because the pilfered diesel would be much cheaper than the market rates. The involvement of an interstate gang can not be ruled out because earlier the Maharashtra police had unearthed their operations in Thane-Belapur industrial belt. The village economy of Goa is today partly based on many illegal operations. The law and order machinery would have to come down with a heavy hand to stop such operations. The leads found during the Akhado-Santo Estevam investigations need to be followed to their logical ends. The government of Goa needs to tighten its surveillance machinery from the petroleum products supply points to the end users. What the sealed tankers leaving Marmagoa do in transit, on the way? Where and why do they stop and for how long? At what point the seals are broken and the petroleum products are pilfered? Where and how these are stored and then sold? In a small state of Goa it is not difficult for the Goa police to establish a network of paid informers to break the backbone of this gang. There is a very strong possibility of political interference in the routine investigations of the Goa police. But the people of Goa and economically active sections, the law abiding tax payers would stand solidly behind the investigating agencies. The political parties may find that some of their prominent workers and supporters may be involved in the pilferage operations. They should be promptly suspended from the party memberships. If decisive proactive steps are not taken by the government, the political parties and the society then there would be total disregard for law. Besides there is fear that the new economy of Goa would emerge from underworld elements. This would be totally detrimental to local and national interests. For past eight years if the diesel pilferage business has pumped in a billion rupees from illegal route in Goas village economy then it is high time that the Goan society comes to its senses, sit up and take a serious notice. Let the Goa police get a free hand to destroy the petroleum hydrocarbon based parallel economy. Let the political parties take a strong view on this matter. ------------------------------------------------------ The Navhind Times 30/01/06 page 10 ------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] website: www.goacan.org -------------------------------------------------