Pay pending dues: RO to NIT
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 02 2018:
Failure of the State Government to pay outstanding dues for the fuel taken by some institutions and Departments from retail outlets of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) in Manipur, has led to a situation where the retail outlets are starting to get apprehensive about supplying fuel to various Government Departments/institutions.
According to an official source, Government institutions and Departments procure oil/fuel from the retail outlets by depositing a specific amount of money.
If the deposit money runs out, the Department or institution concerned has to deposit extra money to procure additional fuel.
If the Department or institution is a long term customer, there are occasions when they are given additional fuel despite exhausting their deposit money and the whole process is based on trust between the retail outlet and the body concerned, the source explained.
However, recently there have been incidents in which a certain Department/institution refused to pay the pending due amount despite repeated appeals from the retail outlet to do so.
The source continued that National Institute of Technology (NIT), Manipur, located at Takyel, deposited Rs 50,000 at one of IOCL retail outlets MS Heirangoithong Service Station and began procuring oil for its vehicles from the station since 2013 .
After the deposit money ran out, the institute paid another deposit and procured additional fuel.
Sometimes, even after the deposit money ran out, fuel was still provided to the institution (which would eventually pay off the pending amount later) .
Explaining that such practice went on for some time, the source conveyed that eventually, the pending amount reached around Rs 1.63 lakh and as such, Heirangoithong Service Station was forced to send a written application to NIT Manipur urging the institute to clear the outstanding due.
However, after the institute failed to pay the pending amount, the retail outlet notified the institution that it would no longer provide fuel for the institution's vehicles and the retail outlet stopped giving oil to NIT Manipur from April 5 this year, the sources added.
Then the Registrar of NIT Manipur sent an application to the retail outlet on April 16 to continue providing oil to the institution apart from assuring to pay off the pending amount on April 20 .
However, the retail outlet refused to do so as the trust had been broken.
Despite sending numerous reminders to NIT Manipur by Heirangoithong Service Station to pay up the outstanding amount, the institution has failed to give any money till date.
This incident has led to a situation where the IOCL retail outlets will slowly become hesitant in providing oil for any of the Government institutions or Departments in the future, the source added.