Single control system yet to deliver fully

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 19 : The initiative to bring all oil pumps of the country under a single control system is yet to deliver its full benefits in the State.
According to some retail outlet owners, a process of automation to bring all oil pumps under a single control system has been initiated with the primary objective of delivering  Q&Q (quality and quantity) products to all customers.
This initiative taken up under an instruction of the Government of India encompassing all oil pumps.
Even though Q&Q is ensured against fuel distributed from IOCL’s Malom depot to different oil pumps in the State, there are certain difficulties in delivery Q&Q products to customers under an automated system, said a source.
Two basic requirements for introduction of automated single control system are internet networking system and power supply.
It is a common knowledge that internet networking system in the State is not very desirable. Moreover, power supply in the State is also not quite reliable.
These two factors have been hampering the initiative of introducing automated single control system in the State.
Earlier, 12 Kls of fuel sent from oil depot in a tanker truck were somehow increased to 13 or 14 Kls on reaching oil pump through adulteration. But this is no longer possible now.
Moreover, fuel meters were not fitted in TTs in the past but these days TTs are fitted with fuel meters and this is one benefit of automation.
Depending on the distances of oil pumps from Malom depot, prices of fuel vary from one oil pump to another.
Fuel prices fixed today would remain valid till 5.59 am of tomorrow. Usually fuel prices for the day are informed to all oil pumps at 6 am through the single control system.
Fuel prices would be automatically displayed at the dispensing units.
In case an oil pump at Imphal hikes fuel prices just because another oil pump at Moirang is selling fuel at higher prices, the particular oil pump located at Imphal can be booked. But this is dependent on internet networking system and power supply, said the source.
ROs are now prohibited from selling fuel to customers when fuel is being unloaded from TTs in their underground tanks. Already IOCL has received a lot complaints from many ROs that they could not sell fuel for the whole day because the internet networking system was not working.
At the same time, as per marketing discipline, there is a guideline on how much fuel should be sold within a given time, added the source.