Birgunj, March 15
Nepali fuel suppliers have launched a strike citing the representatives of the Indian Oil Corporation overcharged them to release the tankers from the Indian customs. Consequently, 69 tankers carrying 20,000 litres of fuel in each have been stranded on the Indian side near the Nepal-India border in Raxaul.
The suppliers have claimed that the personnel demand IRs 600 to 1,000 for releasing a tanker and the exact amount depends on their mood. Likewise, the representatives do not give them any receipt for the payment.
They say the personnel sometimes threaten them to extort the money whereas assure releasing the tankers earlier at other times.
The vice-president of Nepal Petroleum Suppliers Association in Birgunj, Binod Manandhar, says the suppliers have decided not to pay the ‘haphazardly collected’ charge. However, the traders say they have taken initiatives to hold talks regarding the issue.
