KATHMANDU May 15: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has banned tanker drivers who were found transporting more than the specified amount of petrol. 

After the tanker, which received an order for 20,000 liters of petrol, was found to have brought back more than the specified quantity from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the two co-drivers were banned from ever transporting petroleum products to and fro all of the depots of the NOC in the future. 

Manoj Kumar Thakur, spokesperson for the NOC, said that the tanker itself, operated by Rupandehi-based Shree Express Transport Services Pvt Ltd, has been suspended for three months. 

NOC has decided to withhold the transportation fare of the tanker involved in the theft and also recover the 20,000 liters of petrol.

The tanker (Lu 2 Kha 4839) had been contracted by the corporation to transport petrol on the Betlapur-Bhairahawa road. During the inspection at the Bhairahawa Customs Office, it was found that the tanker was carrying 3,000 liters more than the amount mentioned in the purchase bill from the IOC. 

After the theft was discovered, necessary steps were taken and the tanker was impounded. NOC suspects this was a theft on account of the fact that petrol is cheaper in India than in Nepal. 

 
• NOC