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CIAA ‘confiscates’ NOC files related to bullet permits
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has said the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) “has confiscated” its files related to permitting gas companies to acquire LPG bullets and increasing the number of petroleum tankers.Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has said the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) “has confiscated” its files related to permitting gas companies to acquire LPG bullets and increasing the number of petroleum tankers.
NOC Director Birendra Kumar Goit confirmed the confiscation of the files. “CIAA officials took away the files on Friday, saying they needed the documents for investigation,” he said.
However, Khagendra Prasad Rijal, assistant spokesperson for the CIAA, said the anti-graft body has not taken any such action. “Although discussions have been initiated, we have not yet taken any type of action,” he said.
On July 19, the state-owned enterprise had allowed cooking gas bottlers to purchase 600 gas bullets. Although the NOC, in the initial phase, was supposed to issue the permit for 416 bullets to 53 gas bottlers, it increased the quota later on. NOC also had plans to increase the quota further to 775 bullets to accommodate those who do not have gas bottling plants, according to reports.
However, a day after the NOC’s decision, the Supply Ministry asked it to stop the process, citing the lack of regulation to monitor gas bullets. However, the Parliamentary Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Protection Committee two weeks ago asked the ministry to give its go-ahead to NOC.
NOC’s decision to increase the number of petroleum tankers has also been controversial. According to NOC officials, the corporation recently permitted petroleum entrepreneurs to purchase more than 250 tankers.
Sources say the enterprise did not even fulfil official procedures while issuing the petroleum tanker permits. NOC Managing Director Gopal Bahadur Khadka and a number of high ranking officials have been accused of accepting bribes from petroleum dealers and transporters for the permits.