But the board that aimed to correct staff behavior also gave nod to the management´s proposal to review the acceptable loss limit for its depots, instead of asking it to adhere to the existing limit. [break]
A member of NOC board said that the inclusion of the loss repayment punishment provision has added teeth to the NOC management. “We believe it will be instrumental in discouraging irregularities and plugging leakages,” he told myrepublica.com.
So far, the extreme actions provisioned in the NOC regulations include punishments like short-term suspension, demotion and withholding of grade.
The board´s decision to let the management revise the loss limit for its depots has drawn criticism from officials within the corporation. People that are against the decision said it has given space to the management to ´manipulate´ the depot loss limit.
They mainly challenged the intention of the management to review the limit at the present juncture, when Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is investigating the cases of stock loss at the Amlekhgunj depot.
“The review decision implies that NOC itself believe its existing benchmark is faulty. In such a situation, how can CIAA gauze the leakage?” questioned a source.
“Clearly, the decision intends to protect the present staffs of Amlekhgunj depot, who inflicted substantial loss to NOC in the name of technical loss over the last one year.”
Currently, the anti-graft body is investigating the case of leakage, wherein Amlekhgunj depot recorded 0.91 percent loss in its petrol stock in the recently concluded fiscal year.
The loss figure was 0.34 percentage points higher than 0.57 percent -- the acceptable loss limit set for the depot. It was also higher than the loss figure that the depot reported in the previous fiscal year.
CIAA believes the rise in loss is an indication of leakage and irregularities in the depot. It has even sought explanations from the NOC management for not taking necessary action against the current depot chief Bijaya Parbat and others for not adhering with its loss limit.
Likewise, it is also investigating another similar case of loss at the depot, in which previous depot chief Dinesh Yadav and others inflicted Rs 2.92 million loss to the corporation. For the loss, NOC management has suspended Yadav and also the whole set of staff a few months ago. It has even asked the employees to repay the loss amount.
“Clearly, the NOC management that earlier took action against Yadav and his set has now taken different course for Parbat. This appears fishy,” said NOC officials.
However, NOC board member defended the decision saying that the revision will be done fairly. “To ensure fair revision of acceptable loss limits, we have sought the technical assistance of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC),” he stated.
milan@myrepublica.com
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