Draft bill proposes up to ₹25 cr fine, jail time for unlicensed petroleum ops

Government released the draft Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing fines of up to ₹25 crore and imprisonment of up to three years for unlicensed petroleum operations. It also proposes decriminalising certain minor licence breaches, replacing them with civil penalties. For specified violations, the draft proposes a ₹2.5 crore first-offence penalty, rising to ₹5 crore for subsequent breaches.