In a bid to rein in private fuel retailers curtailing operations to cut losses, the government has expanded the scope of Universal Service Obligation (USO), mandating licensed entities to maintain petrol and diesel sales at all petrol pumps, including in remote areas, for specified working hours.
“The government has now expanded the horizon of USO by including all retail outlets (petrol pumps) including remote area ROs under their ambit,” the oil ministry said in a statement on Friday.
After this, entities that have been granted licences to retail petrol and diesel will be “obligated to extend the USO to all the retail consumers at all the retail outlets.”
