Checked against the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (Ver. 1, effective 24.10.2024) on 15 October 2026. Published by MDG Services on 31 October 2026.
The steps when the automation fails
MDG prints no step list. In practice, clauses 1.5(viii) and 5.1.16 read together point to this order:
- Report it at once to the oil company's authorised official MDG 1.5(viii).
- Act on that official's direction MDG 1.5(viii).
- If the direction is manual mode, get it in writing first. An email or a signed letter from a company official is the only form MDG admits MDG 5.1.16.
- Keep the written permission on record MDG 5.1.16.
Note: manual mode is not the problem. Manual mode, or a tank gauge left off, with no email or signed letter behind it is the irregularity MDG 5.1.16(a) MDG 5.1.16(b).
What counts as written permission
| How the permission reached you | Counts under MDG? |
|---|---|
| Email from a company official | Yes |
| Signed letter from a company official | Yes |
| Phone call | No. Ask the official to confirm by email |
| SMS or chat message | No. Ask for an email |
MDG asks only for a record of the written permission MDG 5.1.16. General practice, not an MDG rule, is to keep:
- the email or letter itself, with its date;
- which unit it covers, and when manual mode started and ended.
For example, at a made-up outlet the automation stops at 9:00 AM. The manager calls the authorised official MDG 1.5(viii), asks for the manual mode instruction by email and switches the units only when it arrives. At noon an inspector asks for the permission and is shown the email MDG 5.1.16.
If there is no permission
The first instance is a penalty of Rs 1,00,000 MDG 8.3(vii).
The full ladder is on the automated outlets page. For a notice already received, read the show cause notice page.
What MDG does not say
- Who can give permission. No rank is named; the clause says "competent authority" MDG 5.1.16.
- Whether sales must stop while you wait. Ask your oil company MDG 1.5(viii).
Questions dealers ask
01What should a petrol pump dealer do when the automation fails?
Report the fault to the oil company's authorised official at once and follow that official's direction MDG 1.5(viii). For manual mode, get an email or signed letter before you switch MDG 5.1.16.
02Can I run my petrol pump in manual mode if the automation is down?
Only with permission from the competent authority. Without it, a unit in manual mode is a major irregularity MDG 5.1.16 MDG 8.3(vii).
03Does a phone call from the company officer count as permission for manual mode?
No. Only an email or a signed letter from a company official counts, so ask the official to confirm by email MDG 5.1.16.
04How long should I keep the manual mode authorisation?
MDG asks for a record and gives no period, and does not say how long a permission lasts MDG 5.1.16. General practice, not an MDG rule: at least five years is the cautious course, because MDG looks back five years for repeat instances MDG 8.5.5.
Read the official text: Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (PDF on Bharat Petroleum's website) (also published on iocl.com).
Related pages
About Dealer Kavach (advertisement)
Dealer Kavach is an app from MDG Services that tracks your outlet's filings, renewals, inspections and daily reports, and reminds you before deadlines, in Hindi and English.