This new fact came to light after bottlers and retailers refused to withdraw their strike even after NOC agreed to fulfill all their formal demands during talks mediated by the Ministry of Supplies on Friday. [break]
During Friday´s talks, NOC had agreed to arrange more LPG supplies from the Barauni refinery and also to allow imports from Mathura and Haldiya to step up supplies of the popular household fuel. This was one of the four demands of the bottlers and dealers.
Likewise, NOC had also consented to pledge insurance coverage for tankers in transit and to involve bottlers´ representatives while studying the possibility of importing LPG from a third country.
“With this we had agreed to fulfill all their written demands. I don´t know why they are still refusing to withdraw the strike,” said Digambhar Jha, NOC chief. As for the possibility of some hidden agenda, he told myrepublica.com he had no idea about that.
But sources at the Supplies Ministry said that the crux of the matter behind the present stalemate was something else -- appointment of a regulator to monitor the standard of the product, the gas cylinders and the operation of the gas companies and dealers.
Officials at the ministry came to know of this only after the negotiating gas bottlers suddenly started walking away from the table when ministry officials asked the NOC team about progress in establishing a new institution, said the source.
“All the while the bottlers and dealers claimed they were on strike in the interest of consumers and improvement of supplies. But they were actually fighting for their own interests, which contravened the interests of consumers,” said the source.
He disclosed that the corporation had recently been working on new regulations for the LPG business, barring circulation of cylinders whose foot rings are cut and which have not been cleaned every year.
“It also envisages appointment of an independent regulator for the sector,” said the source. “The dealers somehow learnt about the exercise, and the present strike is aimed at foiling that attempt,” he added.
Jha refused to elaborate on the matter. Officials concerned also failed to answer whether NOC can legally appoint a sectoral regulator.
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