After anti-graft
body detained their bosses yesterday, the state oil monopoly employees today halted
distribution of petroleum products – protesting the Commission for the
Investigation of Abuse of Authority and arguing that the decision to
distribute bonus was justifiable – eventually hitting the
public.
The Nepal
Oil Corporation (NOC) trade unions – the NOC Independent Employees’ Union, Nepal
National Employees’ Union of NOC and NOC Employees Association – neither received
nor distributed fuel today, but organised a press meet and warned of series of protest programmes.
The unions of
Nepal Oil Corporation – that has an accumulated loss of over Rs 28.50 billion
and outstanding loans worth over Rs 28 billion – also claimed that the issue of
bonus distribution has been blown out or proportion.
NOC Employees
Association president Devi Prasad Neupane, on the occasion, defended the bonus distribution. “The decision was endorsed by
the NOC board,” he claimed. “The corporation has also paid Rs 5.76 million to
the government as a tax for the bonuses.”
“We are compelled to bring protest programmes as our colleagues have been arrested, while distributing bonus as per the existing laws,” he said, adding that the CIAA has demoralised them by arresting their colleagues.
“We are compelled to bring protest programmes as our colleagues have been arrested, while distributing bonus as per the existing laws,” he said, adding that the CIAA has demoralised them by arresting their colleagues.
The CIAA
yesterday arrested three senior NOC employees, including acting managing
director Suresh Kumar Agrawal, for distributing bonus to employees flouting the
anti-graft body’s direction and legal provision.
The NOC employees,
however, resumed fuel supply after 3 pm, after Ministry of Commerce and
Supplies’ intervention.
The NOC board
on August 4, under pressure from the employees, had endorsed distribution of Rs
198.8 million – equivalent to around 17 months of total salary of NOC staff – in bonus from the
profit of Rs 3.31 billion it generated in the fiscal year 2008-09, though it
has been accumulating losses after 2008-09.
The board had also earmarked Rs 184.89 million as housing allowance for the employees, whereas it has already distributed Rs 17.28 million in bonuses.
The technically bankrupt state oil monopoly had posted profit in the fiscal year 2008-09, but red-tapism, corruption and mismanagement have pushed the institution to around Rs 1.62 billion monthly loss.
The board had also earmarked Rs 184.89 million as housing allowance for the employees, whereas it has already distributed Rs 17.28 million in bonuses.
The technically bankrupt state oil monopoly had posted profit in the fiscal year 2008-09, but red-tapism, corruption and mismanagement have pushed the institution to around Rs 1.62 billion monthly loss.
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