Allocation norms of fuel tossed for a six
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 22 2011: Although the Government has been making efforts to ensure equitable distribution of petrol and diesel among the people from its available limited stock, alleged irregularities in the supply of petrol and diesel to the various oil pumps from the oil depot of IOC at Chingmeirong have negated the effort.

Following prolonged imposition of economic blockade along the National Highways over the demand for upgradation of Sadar Hills to a district, oil pumps in the State have been running dry.

To tide over the situation and ensure no petrol and diesel from its available limited stock land up in the black market, the Government took over the oil depot of the IOC at Chingmeirong and posted an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to monitor the supply of petrol and diesel to the oil pumps judiciously.

However, despite posting of an OSD by the Government, failure to abide by the guidelines of IOC have given room for petrol and diesel to be siphoned off to the black market.

According to information received from IOC, supply of petrol and diesel during lean period from the depot should be based on the average sale report of the oil pumps.

Out of stock but available in plenty in the black

If the average sale record of an oil pump before a crisis was low, then there should be a corresponding decrease in the supply during the crisis, and if an oil pump did not record any sale at all before the crisis, then no supply should be made.

Supplying oil without any cap to such oil pumps automatically increases the chances of petrol and diesel flowing into the black market.

Taking serious note over the prevailing fuel crisis in the State in the wake of imposition of indefinite economic blockade and general strike along the National Highways, IOC had collected the average sale records of 20 oil pumps under Imphal-I and 35 oil pumps under Imphal-II for three months pertaining to the period from April 11 to July 11 .

This was to find out how much petrol and diesel have been sold by these oil pumps so as to finalise the quantity of fuel to be supplied to tide over the current crisis.

With the stock of fuel in the depot of the IOC at Chingmeirong dwindling, the Government took over the responsibility of supplying fuel to the oil pumps along with posting of an OSD since August.

In accordance to the average sales records collected by IOC, Lembisana Service Station located along Uyumpok-Pourabi Road had sold only 6 KL of petrol and 25 KL of diesel during the three months.

However, the OSD of the Government posted at the oil depot has supplied 16 KL of petrol within the August month itself while the quantity of diesel supplied was just 6 KL.

Similarly, CR Nicholas, Chandel had recorded an average sale of just 3 KL of petrol during the period from April 11 to July 11 but the OSD has supplied 8 KL of petrol in the August.

As for diesel, only 4 KL has been supplied although the average sale recorded during April 11 to July 11 was 23 KL.

In case of Manipur Highway located at Khabam Lamkhai, only 2 KL of petrol had been sold, but the OSD has been supplied 8 KL in August and of 21 KL of diesel sold, only 4 KL has been supplied.

In Keramat & Sons, Yairipok, only 2 KL of diesel had been sold during April 11 and July 11, but 4 Kl of diesel has been supplied in August.

Supply of fuel in defiance of the average sale records collected by the IOC has not only increased the chances of corruption besides giving room for the supplied fuel to reach the black market, the officials of the some of the petrol pumps which have maintained high average sale records pointed out.