IOC office ready to be shifted to Assam
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 18: Even as all preparations have been made to shift the Imphal office of the IOC (Marketing Division) to Assam, the State Government has been caught unaware of the whole arrangement.

The divisional office of IOC opened at Imphal was the second in the whole North East region only after the one at Assam .

At times of bandhs, blockades and general strikes which occur more often than not, the divisional office used to tackle the problems of fuel shortage from time to time in consultation with the State Government.

The Divisional Office of the IOC that is awaiting closure

When required it often arranged to bring in fuel oil with security escorts provided by the State Government during bandhs and blockades.

In case the office gets shifted to Assam, the State will lose the advantage of such temporary arrangements.

Vehicle fuels for army, paramilitary forces, CRPF and Border Roads Organisation deployed in Manipur and Nagaland are being provided fuel oil under the IOC divisional office located at Imphal.

According to information received by the press, the divisional office was opened at Imphal in 1990.During its early days, the Imphal office was responsible of distribution of oil to Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tirpura and the Barak Valley of Assam.

The coverage area of the office was reduced to Manipur and Nagaland only in 1991 .

Following the global increase in the price of crude oil and the refusal of the Government to hike the prices of petroleum products for a long time, the IOC suffered a huge deficit.

Subsequently, the AOD was merged into the IOC followed by reorganisation of the IOC's structure.

It was under this reorganisation programme that the initiative to shift the Imphal divisional office to Silchar was taken up.

Under the notion that IOC officials may face problems working at Imphal office in view of the State's volatile law and order situation, the decision to shift the office to Silchar was adopted, informed a source.

The office will be officially declared shifted to Silchar after a meeting of IOC officials at Imphal on February 20, it said.

On the other hand, FCS Minister Y Erabot, on being contacted, denied any knowledge of the whole arrangement to shift the IOC divisional office from Imphal to Silchar.