(a) whether the CBI has recently registered several cases pertaiing to the pilferage and adulteration of petroleum products and kerosene during a special nationwide drive;  (b) if so, the details thereof;  (c) whether the adulteration of petroleum products has been increasing in the light of the failure of oil companies to check the trend;  (d) if so, any action that the Government proposes to take against those persons/agencies found guilty of selling adulterated petroleum products; and  (e) the total number of cases of adulteration in petrol in 2010 as compared to cases in 2009? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)  (a) & (b): Yes, Madam. Recently, 11 case were registered by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under various sections of IPC, EC Act, Motor Spirit & High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, Naphtha (Acquisition, Sale, Storage and Prevention of use in Automobiles) Order and Solvent, Refinate & Slop (Acquisition, Sale, Storage and Prevention of use in Automobiles) Order in Chennai, Thiruvanthapuram and Delhi for various irregularities like adulteration, diversion of Naphtha, unauthorized possession of petrol and diesel etc.  (c) & (d): Possibility of adulteration of petrol/diesel by some unscrupulous elements cannot be ruled out due to huge price difference between petrol/diesel and various adulterants available in the market and the easy miscibility of these products with petrol/diesel. Checking adulteration is a continuous process and this Ministry has been reviewing steps taken to curb adulteration from time to time. Accordingly, in order to check adulteration, the Government has taken a number of initiatives viz., Automation of Retail Outlets, Third party certification of Retail Outlets, Monitoring of movement of tank trucks through Global Positioning System (GPS), Revision of MDG, Smart Card Scheme etc.  Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) undertake regular and surprise inspections of Retail Outlets and also take action under Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) and Dealership Agreements against those indulging in adulteration and malpractices. MDG provide for termination of dealership in the first instance itself for serious malpractices like adulteration, tampering of seals, and unauthorized fittings/gears in dispensing units.  (e) The OMCs had detected 64 cases of adulteration during the year 2009-10 as compared to 118 cases detected during the year 2008-09.