New Delhi: Government has approved four proposals for retail marketing of petrol and diesel, including those of Reliance, Essar and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

This is the first set of proposals cleared after the government decided to liberalise oil marketing in the country, Petroleum Ministry officials said.

Reliance, which boasts of the biggest 27 million-ton refinery in the country, had sought permission to begin retail marketing through a chain of 5,900 outlets while Essar, which is in the process of constructing a 10 million ton refinery in Gujarat would enter the market with 1,700 outlets.

ONGC had applied for entering the marketing segment in a limited manner through a total of 650 outlets while the fourth applicant Numaligarh refinery had sought permission for operating 510 outlets.

Earlier this year, government opened the lucrative marketing sector that has hitherto been a domain of national oil companies, with the condition that new entrants should have an investment or commitment to invest at least Rs 2,000 crore in the upstream or downstream oil sector or related infrastructure.

PTI