The Yimyu Ward Council (YWC) Mokokchung has on Thursday, April 21, written to the Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung on the subject of suspected oil meter tampering at the NRL fuel outlet at Yimyu Ward, Mokokchung. The Yimyu Ward Council informed the Deputy Commissioner that they had conducted a surprise checking earlier on April 15 wherein they discovered that there was a short measure of about 7% in the volume of fuel dispensed. They had informed the Deputy Commissioner that they found that 200 ml was short of the 3 liters they had purchased, following which the council informed the SDO Civil Mokokchung, EAC Ongpangkong and Metrology Department officials. Yimyu Ward Council also said that they conducted the surprise checking following constant complaints regarding suspected meter tampering at NRL fuel station located at Yimyu Ward.

 

Interestingly, on the same evening, the Rising People’s Party exposed a fuel adulteration racket in Dimapur. On April 21, a supposed truck garage, located at Ghorapatti in Dimapur was exposed by RPP while the workers were in the process of mixing kerosene oil to petrol destined for retail outlets. Like Yimyu Ward Council, RPP took the initiative after they received credible information from concerned citizens. RPP also disclosed that the person running the adulteration racket has 46 petrol pumps all over Nagaland.

 

These two incidents bring to light two very critical issues. One, the public are being fleeced by the fuel adulteration racket. Two, the authorities in Nagaland are bought off by the fuel mafia. Neither the administration nor the police have the guts or the acumen to contain the fuel mafia. The system is compromised; the fuel mafia rule to roost. The fact that these unscrupulous elements escape the radar of the Police and administration, who operate without fear and with impunity, indicates that they are in the pockets of the fuel mafia.

 

In October 2016, a similar case of tampering with the fuel dispenser was reported at Ongpangkong Petrol Pump Co-operation Limited at Sungkomen Ward in Mokokchung. In that particular instance, the filling station was examined by officials from the Legal Metrology and Consumer Protection Department, officials from the district administration, Mokokchung police, and Ongpangkong Kaketshir Mungdang (OKM) and some public members. Also in the same year, the Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) had exposed a fuel adulteration racket in Dimapur. At least 16 persons were arrested on the matter then. It is reported that the same people who were exposed in 2016 are still engaged in the fuel adulteration racket in Dimapur which was exposed by RPP on April 21.

 

Over and above that, the hopelessness of the situation is that the people don’t trust the police and the administration. In both instances, in 2016 as well as in 2022, in Mokokchung as well as in Dimapur, the reports were not given to the police or the administration. In Mokokchung, the citizens reported it to the Ward authority and in Dimapur, they reported it to the RPP. What exactly is the role of the Police and district administration then?

 

Mokokchung Times

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