Consumer body files case against NOC
KATHMANDU:
Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights today lodged a complaint at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) against the Nepal Oil Corporation today.
Suspecting information leak of price hike to the petroleum dealers by responsible officials at the state oilmonopoly, Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights today filed a complaint at the anti-graft body asking it to take action against the guilty.
The state oil monopoly had on October 8 opened its Thankot depot citing petroleum shortage during Dashain festival, when there is low traffic pressure and distributed petroleum products to the dealers, secretary of the forum Jagannath Mishra said in the complaint. “The NOC hiked petroleum products prices after two days on October 10 that clearly indicted that corporation has given the dealers a chance to hoard petroleum products,” he added.
The corporation has hiked up the price of petrol by Rs 3 and diesel and kerosene by Re 1 on October 10.
The complain stated that the state oil monopoly has carried out all the activities deliberately. “Multiple stakeholders including Nepal Oil Corporation board members, management committee and depot chief are involved in the embezzlement,” the forum claimed. The Nepal Oil Corporation — that has the secretary of commerce and supplies as its board chairman — has long been facing the charge of ‘unholy’ alliance with the dealers and massive corruption.
Earlier, NOC Amlekhgunj depot had also come under controversy in August after it distributed fuel to the dealers just a day ahead of the price hike. The then NOC managing director had replaced Amlekhgunj depot chief — after the controversy — without taking any action against him.
Neither the government nor the CIAA investigated a series of corruption in the NOC but it is the first time the consumer rights activists have knocked the door of the government anti-graft body.
“This is probably for the first time, Nepal Oil Corporation’s price hike decision has reached to the anti graft body,” Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights said, demanding the prompt and strict action from the authority. The Forum has also asked the anti graft body to direct the Nepal Oil Corporation and the government to implement the report of High Level Committee led by lawmaker Bhim Acharya, who had recommended the government to form a separate Petroleum Authority to fix the price along with effective market inspection and monitoring that has just been a show off recently.
Source: THT
Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights today lodged a complaint at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) against the Nepal Oil Corporation today.
Suspecting information leak of price hike to the petroleum dealers by responsible officials at the state oilmonopoly, Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights today filed a complaint at the anti-graft body asking it to take action against the guilty.
The state oil monopoly had on October 8 opened its Thankot depot citing petroleum shortage during Dashain festival, when there is low traffic pressure and distributed petroleum products to the dealers, secretary of the forum Jagannath Mishra said in the complaint. “The NOC hiked petroleum products prices after two days on October 10 that clearly indicted that corporation has given the dealers a chance to hoard petroleum products,” he added.
The corporation has hiked up the price of petrol by Rs 3 and diesel and kerosene by Re 1 on October 10.
The complain stated that the state oil monopoly has carried out all the activities deliberately. “Multiple stakeholders including Nepal Oil Corporation board members, management committee and depot chief are involved in the embezzlement,” the forum claimed. The Nepal Oil Corporation — that has the secretary of commerce and supplies as its board chairman — has long been facing the charge of ‘unholy’ alliance with the dealers and massive corruption.
Earlier, NOC Amlekhgunj depot had also come under controversy in August after it distributed fuel to the dealers just a day ahead of the price hike. The then NOC managing director had replaced Amlekhgunj depot chief — after the controversy — without taking any action against him.
Neither the government nor the CIAA investigated a series of corruption in the NOC but it is the first time the consumer rights activists have knocked the door of the government anti-graft body.
“This is probably for the first time, Nepal Oil Corporation’s price hike decision has reached to the anti graft body,” Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights said, demanding the prompt and strict action from the authority. The Forum has also asked the anti graft body to direct the Nepal Oil Corporation and the government to implement the report of High Level Committee led by lawmaker Bhim Acharya, who had recommended the government to form a separate Petroleum Authority to fix the price along with effective market inspection and monitoring that has just been a show off recently.
Source: THT
