The drive of the government to promote digital payments at petrol pumps, turning “no mobile phone zones” as hubs for digital transactions is said to be dangerous. An official communication from the Chief Controller of Explosives, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to the ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gases, dated December 19, clearly restricts use of PoS units and mobile/e-wallets while refuelling vehicles and directs need for prominently marking the hazardous area (zone-1) around the dispenser.

Bringing this to the notice of cabinet secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha, former vice-chairman of National Disaster Management Authority, M Shashidhar Reddy called for urgent steps to avoid digital payment at petroleum retail outlets for safety reasons noting the “exponential” growth in the use in PoS units/mobile e-wallets at such outlets after the note ban.

He cautioned that it calls for prominently marking the hazardous area around the dispenser. As a person with experience in disaster management, he felt this calls for urgent steps to ensure that these conditions are meticulously followed – as a preventive and preparedness measure. This will also call for appropriate public awareness as a part of this, he added.

Reddy requested Sinha to direct Petroleum and Natural Gas secretary and chief secretaries of all states to comply with the advisory from PESO in a time-bound manner. He said that this is extremely important from the point of view of public safety consequent to their being pushed to the use of digital payment platforms post-demonetisation.