The Government of India had relaxed the criteria for grant of authorization for marketing of transportation fuel by issuing Resolution dated 8.11.2019, with an objective to ensure greater participation of private sector in the fuel retail business. Simultaneously, it also ensured setting up Retail outlets (ROs) in Remote Areas by these entities.
It has been an endeavor of the Government that for Remote area ROs the authorized entities provide quality and uninterrupted fuel supply services to the consumers by way of Universal Service Obligation (USO).
These USO include: – maintaining supplies of MS and HSD throughout the specified working hours and of specified quality and quantity; making available minimum facilities as specified by the Central Government; maintaining minimum inventory levels of MS and HSD as specified by the Central Government from time to time; providing services to any person on demand within a reasonable period of time and on non-discriminatory basis and ensuring availability of fuel to the customers at reasonable prices.
The Government has now expanded the horizon of USO by including all ROs including Remote Area ROs under their ambit. Now the Authorized entities have been obligated to extend the USO to all the retail consumers at all the retail Outlets. This has been done with an objective to ensure higher level of customer services in the market and to ensure that adherence to the USO forms a part of the market discipline.