Black-marketeers fuel petrol shortage rumour (NOC)

Just when the supply of petrol had nearly normalised in the Kathmandu Valley, a dispute between Nepal Oil Corporation and fuel station owners has created a fertile ground for black-marketeers. Capitalising on the stand-off, black-marketeers have circulated a rumour that Indian Oil Corporation has cut supply of fuel to Nepal after the country signed Transit Transport Agreement with China. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) was established in January 1970 by the Government of Nepal as a state-owned trading company to deal with the import, transportation, storage and distribution of various petroleum products in the country. NOC, headquartered in Kathmandu, has Five Regional Offices and also Branch Offices, Fuel Depots and Aviation Fuel Depots with total storage capacity of 71,622 Kilolitres (KL) and around 600 employees.