At present, only SC/STs get a quota of 25 per cent in such allotments, with another 25 per cent divided among defence personnel, paramilitary personnel, freedom fighters, physically disabled and sportspersons.

After three rounds of meetings with state-run oil marketing companies, the Petroleum Ministry has moved a proposal that quota in allotment of petrol pumps be restricted to two broad categories — SCs/STs and OBCs — with defence personnel etc adjusted as sub-groups within these two. “It would be later extended to LPG agencies as well,” said ministry officials.

“Since it is required to include OBC, excepting the creamy layer, in the ambit of reservation and the total reservation cannot exceed 50 per cent... the SC/ST reservation has been revised to 22.5 per cent,” says the proposal.

The guidelines also propose dropping the existing 33 per cent reservation for women in each of the quotas “in view of the complexity of implementing the same”. Instead, it gives petrol pump owners the option to include spouses as equal partners.

The ST quota remains unchanged in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram though, considering their dominance there.