ISLAMABAD - ARL keeping Petroleum Ministry in dark and dodging senior officials about the exact date of closure of the Plat-former Unit, has ostensibly contributed to leave the people of Punjab province in the lurch. It was learnt that ARL had kept the Petroleum Ministry in the dark and dodging senior officials about the exact date of closure of the Plat-former Unit, which produces motor spirit (petrol) largely to meet the demands of Punjab province. Ham-fisted policies and slack response of concerned authorities have aggravated the petroleum products shortage in the country, sources added. According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, the country demand of petrol is about 7,000 tons per day out of which local refineries produce about 4,000 tons while the balance requirement is met through imports. Punjabs share is about 3,000 tons per day and its demand is mainly met by Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) located at Rawalpindi and PARCO Mid-Country Refinery located at Muzaffargarh having total production capacity of 3,300tons per day. Shallow policies coupled with administrative failure of the concerned authorities have aggravated the petroleum shortage in the country, which was due to earlier closure of the plat-former unit of Attock Refinery (ARL fulfilling 16 per cent of petrol requirements), sources said adding, that non-maintenance of fuel stocks as per set rules and patterns by OMCs contributed significant role along with the absence of strict monitoring by the authorities concerned added miseries to the inflation-hit economy of the masses. OMCs after haste deregulation are cartelising in the market to build pressure on cash-starved incumbent government to raise margins of POL products by exploiting the situation of petroleum shortage and they felt it as an ideal time to reap the benefit. OMCs are out to get margin of 50 paisa on diesel and 50 paisa on gasoline after dramatic speedy deregulation of POL products and by creating artificial shortage resolved to earn more by maximising benefits, sources added. Official documents available with TheNation revealed that in a meeting convened to review of petrol demand/ supply position on 20th May 2011, ARL representative in the said meeting indicated that their Platformer Unit will be shut down for 30 days from last week of June 2011 till 3rd week of July 2011 and the revised petrol availability in the said period will be 20,000 metric tons ie 15,000 tons in June and 5,000 tons in July 2011. However, ARL on 24th May 2011 informed the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources in writing that they have to shutdown its Platformer Unit for 35 days contrary to planned shutdown in the 3rd week of June 2011. Earlier Ijaz Chaudhry Secretary Petroleum while talking to TheNation informed that gallop tenders were opened by the end of May to fill the gap after the ARL intimation of annual shutdown for repairing. However, during first week of June, ARL informed about its sudden breakdown, which worsened the situation, he said. It is relevant to note that in order to maintain smooth supply of petrol in the upcountry an emergent meeting of refineries and OMCs was held on 8th June 2011 under the Chairmanship of Secretary and Petroleum Minister wherein ARL was directed to undertake repair of Platformer sooner than what they intend to do ie 3rd July to mitigate shortage. Moreover, keeping in view the stock position of four days cover, ARL was allowed on priority basis to import of an additional one cargo of 35,000 tons to tone down the shortage.