Oil depots to be out of city limits

Jammu: Keeping in view the hazards associated with close proximity of oil storing depots to the residential areas, the government is looking to expedite the shifting process of these depots to less populated areas away from the city.
The work at new location will be started as soon as the land is provided to oil companies, besides the necessary permissions from concerned agencies for establishment of new infrastructure at new identified site where oil depots are to be shifted.
This was informed to government by the representatives of oil companies involved in the shifting process in a meeting convened by Ch. Zulfkar Ali, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Information, to review the shifting process and attended by Commissioner Secretary FCS&CA Shafiq Ahmad Raina, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Rajeev Ranjan and senior officers from Revenue and Forest departments.
Following up the instructions given to concerned agencies regarding relocating depots presently located near Railway Station away from Jammu, Ch. Zulfkar Ali called for expediting the shifting process, adding that the present location of the depots, surrounded by residential areas, is a matter of concern for the government. "If something wrong happens there, it could lead to a big disaster, causing loses of human lives as well as property," said the Minister.
Terming the shifting imperative keeping safety of people in mind, the Minister asked the officers to ensure no laxity to be observed in the process and to put their coordinated efforts in relocation, while urging the oil companies to come up with a proposal under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to help the local people involved in the whole process in terms of providing employment and other benefits to them.
Deputy Commissioner Jammu apprised the meeting about the present status of shifting process. The Minister asked DC Jammu to complete all necessary formalities in this regard so that works on ground can be executed by other concerned agencies.
Zulfkar also informed that Nodal Officer appointed by the department of FCS&CA is responsible to coordinate with all concerned agencies and to provide all possible help required in the shifting process, asserting that the government is very much concerned about the issue and the process should be completed in a time bound manner.
Pull Out: "If something wrong happens there, it could lead to a big disaster, causing loses of human lives as well as property."