ROs petition IOC, decry favouritism
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 15 2010: Retail Outlet (RO) dealers of petroleum products of Manipur have decried the failure of the IOC Limited to protect their RO dealers by not resorting to issuing split loads to the ROs instead of allocating 12 Kl each of fuel to some selected ROs.

By splitting the loads, the ROs can run some bare minimum business for survival which would also reduce public pressure on the few selected ROs, said a press release issued by the convenor of the Joint Action Committee, IOCL Retail Outlet Dealers of Manipur.

It pointed out that consequent upon the economic blockade on NH-39 and NH53 for more than two months which was followed by the transporters' decision not to use NH-39, most of the ROs have not been able to run their business for the last three months.

People queue up before a petrol outlet-File picture

But the ROs have to maintain their staff, pay bank interest and other expenditures like rent, electricity and telephone bills without doing any business resulting in severe financial crisis and heavy debts.

Informing that all these issues were deliberated during a meeting of RO dealers of Manipur during a meeting held at Hotel Nirmala on July 14, it conveyed that the RO dealers were peeved over the manner of allocation or selection of designated ROs in each district by the CAF & PD Department.

The ROs also accused the CAF &PD Dept of indulging in favouritism and nepotism in the selection of ROs for allocation of fuel.

Pointing out that the IOC Limited is under a commercial obligation towards its RO dealers to maintain regular supply of petroleum products to make the retail outlet business a profitable one, the ROs appealed to the North East Integrated State Office, IOC Limited Guwahati to take a pro-active role in the present fuel crisis in Manipur in the interest of RO dealers of Manipur.

Even as IOC transporters are reluctant to ply on NH 53 on the present IOCL fare due to miserable condition of the road which has escalated their travel expenditures and maintenance cost, the IOC Limited has not bothered to explore the possibility of entrusting the responsibility of transportation of petroleum products to the ROs who can either use its transporters or engage other transporters, the RO's lamented.

They further conveyed that a memorandum highlighting all these grievances has been submitted to the General Manager and the Chief Retail Manager of IOCL, NEISO Guwahati.