Singh had the oil millers by the throat with his order that they set up laboratories for testing the quality of groundnut oil in all mills by June. The issue stirred a storm: for a long time oil millers and the ministry was at loggerheads, as the millers had contributed heavily to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) funds. Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel became unpopular among the oil millers.

About setting up the laboratories, Saurashtra Oil Millers' Association (SOMA) president Ukabhai Patel said, ``Setting up a test and analysis laboratory is a very lengthy and complicated process and the capital costs are very high. Setting up a laboratory requires Rs 6 lakh-8 lakh. Not everyone can afford it. Besides, if we start testing at 8 a.m., the report will be available only by 4 p.m. By that time, tankers and trucks will not be available for transporting the day's production. This will severely affect our business.''

Another miller of Junagadh said Singh was adamant. ``He refused to accept our proposal that we would set up a common laboratory for all mills in the region. He insisted that each mill should have its own laboratory, and that would be very difficult,'' he said.

In the last few months, there have been several turn confrontations between Singh and the oil millers. Ukabhai Patel said Singh would never give appointments for the millers to discuss things. ``When a delegation entered his chamber once, he simply got up from his chair and walked away, leaving the members red-faced.''

Oil trader Vimal Shah said that whenever they approached Singh, he would direct them to go to Delhi and talk it out there.

However, the new minster, Ashok Bhatt, is acceptable to all. ``He has had charge of the portfolio before and is one person who lends us an ear whenever we want to speak to him,'' says Sameer Shah of Rajmoti Oil Mills. ``We hope to have better rapport with Bhatt, and therefore with the government,'' said SOMA sources. However, sources in the city BJP opine that taking Jaspal Singh off the food & civil supplies department would mean giving the oil millers a free hand once again.

``It is only due to Singh's efforts that the quality of groundnut oil was being maintained and certain informal restrictions were placed on them which benefitted the consumer. Compromise means weakening the government's position,'' a party functionary said.

But, former Rajkot MP Vallabh Kathiria begs to differ. ``Being strict is different from being adamant. The complaint against Singh was that he was adamant and unwilling to see reason. I think this change is not going send any wrong signals,'' he said. Singh's downfall once again indicates the powerful clout that cash-rich oil millers of the Saurashtra region wield.