IOC fuel outlet owners clarify on stock

IMPHAL, May 4: Addressing a press conference at the Manipur Press Club, four retail outlet owners of the Indian oil corporation (IOC) spoke about the non availability of petrol and diesel in petrol pump outlets due to the series of bandh and blockades by different organizations of the state and also clarified that their oil outlets do not sell any oil in illegal ways.

Speaking to the media person, one of the member of IOC retail outlet owner on condition of anonymity said that the stock of petrol and diesel remained low in the oil pumps of the state following the imposition of various bandhs and blockades being called by different organizations.

He further said that IOC retail outlets provides oil to 59 oil outlets of the state every day to supplement for public use but due to panic buying, the stocks run out within a short span of time.

"The other reason is  that the IOC provides retail outlet owners with 110 kiloliters in normal time which is not topped up. On one hand the stock given to us is limited while the panic buying means higher demand", one retail owner said. He then added that the NRL oil outlets of the state which covers about 20 per cent of the total oil consumption in the state also remained closed due to the bandhs thereby straining the stock limit in the IOC retail pumps.