SME Times News Bureau | 18 Mar, 2013
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said Saturday it
would shortly finalise the probe into alleged fixing of petrol prices by
cartelisation among oil marketing companies (OMCs).
"We are in the process of finalising the probe very soon.We are in the
process of sending them (OMCs) an order which will ensure that there is
investigation to see what is happening in terms of petrol prices," CCI
Chairman Ashok Chawla told mediapersons here on the sidelines of a seminar
organised by industry body Assocham.
The CCI, which is empowered to ensure fair trading practices, had written to
the oil ministry on the issue, but the latter said it had no role in deciding
the price of petrol as it was a deregulated product.
State-run OMCs Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have
virtual monopoly on crude oil imports and on the distribution of petroleum
products.
On the issue of state miner Coal India's alleged abuse of its near-monopoly
position, Chawla said the CCI had received the investigation report from its
director general.
"The Commission as a whole will look at the matter and then take a
decision," Chawla said.