Petrol pump fine not paid in 30 days: what MDG 2024 says

Short answer

Under the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (MDG 2024), the oil companies' rules for their dealers, a fine with no suspension attached is due within 30 days of the date of the company's notice. If it is unpaid, sales and supplies are suspended from the 31st day for 15 days. The fine is still to be paid in that time, or the suspension is extended by another 15 days. If it is still unpaid when the extension ends, the dealership is terminated MDG 8.7.

The Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (MDG 2024) are the oil companies' rules for their dealers, and bind dealers through the dealership agreement. This page is a plain-language explanation by MDG Services (a brand of VRUOOM Private Limited). It is not the official text and is not connected with or approved by IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL or any government body, so please check the current guidelines and circulars on the oil companies' own websites and with your oil company officer before you act.

Checked against the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (Ver. 1, effective 24.10.2024) on 15 October 2026. Published by MDG Services on 20 October 2026.

Which fines the 30-day rule covers

The rule applies to some major and minor irregularities where the action is a fine alone, with no suspension of sales and supplies. MDG does not list them MDG 8.7. On a plain reading of the ladders, the fine-only steps are the minor penalties of Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000 per irregularity MDG 8.4 and the first automation penalty of Rs 1,00,000 MDG 8.3.

The second automation step carries 7 days' suspension, so it does not fit the description MDG 8.3. MDG does not say whether recovery of the differential price for normal fuel sold as branded fuel is covered. Ask your oil company.

A timeline with dates

Illustration: the company's notice of a fine to a made-up outlet is dated 1 June 2026, and the fine is not paid. MDG does not say whether the 30 days count the notice day. This table takes it as day 0, so check the exact last day against your own notice.

Day	Date	What happens
0	1 June 2026	Notice of the fine
1 to 30	2 June to 1 July	The fine falls due in this period. No suspension MDG 8.7.
31 to 45	2 to 16 July	If unpaid, sales and supplies are suspended for 15 days. The fine is still to be paid in this period MDG 8.7
46 to 60	17 to 31 July	If still unpaid, the suspension is extended by another 15 days MDG 8.7
After day 60	After 31 July	If still unpaid, the dealership is terminated MDG 8.7

Notices, appeals and repeat counts

See the show cause notice process, the appeal after termination and how repeat offences are counted.

General information, not legal advice. For your own notice, speak to an advocate or your oil company.

Questions dealers ask

01Can a petrol pump be suspended for not paying a fine?

Yes. Where the action is a fine alone, sales and supplies are suspended from the 31st day, counted from the company's notice, if the fine is unpaid MDG 8.7.

02Is the fine still due during the suspension?

Yes. If it is still unpaid at the end of the first 15 days, the suspension runs another 15 days MDG 8.7.

03Does the 30-day count include the day of the notice?

MDG does not say. Check the last day against your notice, or ask your oil company.

04Can a termination for an unpaid fine be appealed?

A termination arising from MDG can be appealed within 30 days of receiving the order. The appeal in MDG is for termination only MDG 8.9.

Read the official text: Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (PDF on Bharat Petroleum's website) (also published on iocl.com).

Penalties under the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (MDG 2024): what each irregularity costsWhat a petrol pump dealer faces under the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 for a critical, major or minor irregularity, and how sales get stopped.

Repeat offences under MDG 2024: how a second or third instance is countedHow the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 count a second or third instance over five years, and what follows when several irregularities come together.

Petrol pump show cause notice under Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (MDG 2024): the timelineWhat MDG 2024 says follows an irregularity: a show cause notice within 30 days, 10 days to reply, a speaking order and a hearing before termination.

Petrol pump dealership termination under Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (MDG 2024): the appealWhat MDG 2024 says about terminating a petrol pump dealership: who approves it, the 30-day window to appeal, who hears the appeal, and the 90-day target.

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.

About this page. This page is a plain-language explanation published by MDG Services, a brand of VRUOOM PRIVATE LIMITED (CIN U29194HR2021PTC098450). It is general information, offered free of charge. It is not the official text of any rule.

Not connected with the oil companies or the government. MDG Services is a private company. It is not connected with, approved by, endorsed by, or acting for Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) or any government body. Our name shares letters with the short form "MDG" that the oil companies use for their Marketing Discipline Guidelines. That does not mean any link with them.

Names and marks. IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL and the names of their documents belong to their owners. We write them only to say whose rules we are explaining.

Check the official source. The Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (Ver. 1, effective 24.10.2024) and related circulars are issued by the oil companies. Rules, amounts and dates can change, and amendments may reach dealers directly without being public. Before you act, read the current documents on the oil companies' own websites (iocl.com, bharatpetroleum.in, hindustanpetroleum.com) and ask your own oil company's officer. If this page and the official document differ, the official document is the one to follow.

What the amounts mean. Amounts in the guidelines are the minimum action. The oil company may take higher action, up to ending the dealership. Do not treat any amount shown here as your full exposure.

Court and Parliament items. Where we mention a court order or a statement in Parliament, we report what was said on the date shown. It is not the rule for your outlet, and the position may have changed since. Your dealership agreement and the oil company's current guidelines decide.

Not legal advice. This is general information, not legal advice. For your own notice, reply or appeal, speak to an advocate or your oil company. Examples use made-up outlets.

Last checked. The "checked" date shows the day we last compared this page with the official documents. It does not promise that nothing has changed since.

Report an error or send a legal notice. If you see a mistake, or need to send us a notice, write to hello@mdgservices.in. We read every message, check it, and correct or remove the page.

Limits on our responsibility. We take reasonable care to keep this page accurate. To the extent the law allows, MDG Services and VRUOOM PRIVATE LIMITED are not responsible for loss caused by relying on this page alone instead of the official documents. This does not limit anything the law does not allow us to limit, including responsibility for fraud or for an error we knew about and did not correct. Your legal rights are not affected.

Advertisement. The box headed "About Dealer Kavach" is an advertisement for a paid service from MDG Services. This explanation is free and needs no sign-up or purchase to read.

Hindi pages. Hindi pages are written for easy reading. If a Hindi page and the official English document differ, the official English document is the one to follow.

Full disclaimer

Report an error or send a legal notice: hello@mdgservices.in