Defying norms, Cong MP has a kerosene selling licence

Karauli: Khiladi Lal Bairwa, Congress MP from Karauli-Dholpur, remains a kerosene dealer even four years after getting elected to the Lok Sabha where as it is illegal for legislators and public servants to do so. But it seems this rule does not to apply to Bairwa.

The Rajasthan government has not yet cancelled Bairwa's licence even though the Distrct Collector had on May 29, 2009 dircetd him to stop selling kerosene.

Social activists Ashok Pathak alleged that Bariwa's licence was not being cancelled because he had the support of Rajasthan government.

Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister had, however, cancelled the district collector's orders on June 11, 2009 and given permission to Bairwa to sell kerosene till the date his licence was valid. But following consultation with the Law Department the order was taken back on June 29, 2012 after it was pointed out that a legislator cannot sell kerosene.

However, on December 10, 2012 Bairwa wrote a letter to the District Collector that he cannot be stopped from selling kerosene as it could only done by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs as he was a Member of Parliament. After the letter the District Collector restored Bairwa's license on December 13, 2012. Bairwa have taken the quota of 135.48 lakh litre kerosene from June 2009 till January 2013.

Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said that he aware of the case and added that the government had not restored his licence. He also said that so far as his department was concerned Bairwa's licence was cancelled and supply stopped as per rules.

Bairwa accepted that he has no right to keep the licence but he said that he had appealed to the Petroleum Ministry to grant him relief. Bairwa added that according to the rules a MP can not apply for the agency but also said that he was not sure what would happen if he did not manage to remain a MP.

According to Section 3(1) of the Rajasthan Foodgrains and other Essential Articles (Regulation of Distribution) Order, 1976, a public servant can't either be in retail/wholesale business of essential commodities and neither can he be issued a licence to so.