New Delhi: The ‘no helmet, no petrol’ policy in Uttar Pradesh created a bizarre situation at a petrol pump in Hapur district. It all happened when the attendant at the fuel pump strictly complied to the rule and denied petrol to a biker as he was not wearing a helmet. The man turned out to be an employee of the state electricity department. To settle score, he cut off the power supply to the fuel pump.
The Yogi Adityanath government has issued directions to the district officials to enforce the ‘no helmet, no petrol’ rule as part of an initiative to reduce fatalities caused by road accidents. Petrol pump owners have been instructed not to give fuel to bikers who are not wearing helmets.
A petrol pump attendant recalled that on Monday, a lineman from the power supply department arrived to refuel his bike without wearing a helmet. Adhering to instructions from their owner, who had told them about the district magistrate’s order, the staff denied fuel as per the ‘no helmet, no petrol’ rule. “When the lineman was turned away, he left in anger and later disconnected the power supply,” the attendant said.
CCTV camera captures the act
The sudden power outage left the petrol pump staff surprised. Later, the supply was restored in about 20 minutes. The owner of the petrol pump has since filed a police complaint regarding the strange incident.
A CCTV camera, installed nearby, recorded the peeved lineman stopping his vehicle near the transformer, climbing a wall, and then a pole to cut the power line. As he descended, bystanders were seen approaching the transformer to check out the cause of the outage.
The order issued by District Magistrate Prerna Sharma said that petrol pump owners in Hapur should not sell petrol to bikers without helmets. They have been told to put up huge hoardings to raise awareness about the ‘no helmet, no petrol’ policy. Even pillion riders are required to wear helmets under this rule. Petrol pump owners have also been asked to ensure CCTV cameras on the premises are functioning so that the footage can help in case of a misunderstanding.
