A division bench of the Delhi High Court has upheld the Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) 2017, formulated by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for maintaining market discipline and uniformity in action for operating the network of petrol and diesel retail outlets (ROs). Under the guidelines, heavy penalties are imposed on petrol pump dealers for malpractices such as short delivery of petroleum products, among others.
Petrol pump dealers had alleged that MDG 2017 gives arbitrary powers to officers of OMCs and makes their business unviable due to high-compliance burden. The aggrieved dealers had approached the Delhi High Court and a single-judge bench had passed an order striking down MDG 2017. The division bench on Monday overturned the decision, and ruled in favour of the OMCs by giving its nod to all but one provision of the guidelines.
