Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan yesterday handed over allotment letters of 195 petrol pumps to women and SC/ST community as the government looks to increase the number of outlets for the weaker sections of society. <br/><br/>As on date, there are only 6,053 petrol pumps, or 11 per cent of total 54,826 outlets, run by SC/ST against the warranted 12,000 to meet the 20 per cent norm. Mr Pradhan said in the last three years, his ministry has taken several initiatives to help SC/STs awardees including revision of temporary company-owned-company-operated (COCO) divestment Policy in 2016. Under Corpus Fund Scheme for SC/ST/Women, ready built retail outlets along with working capital loan for full operation cycle will be provided, he said. <br/><br/>Mr Pradhan said he has written to Chief Ministers of all states requesting them to make land available to state-owned oil companies at government rate for setting up SC/ST petrol pumps. The allotment letters of temporary COCO outlets to SC, ST & Women beneficiaries was presented in presence of Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot and Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram.