HC asks IOCL to ensure verification within 4 weeks

SHILLONG, Feb 18: A division bench of the High Court of Meghalaya has expressed displeasure with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) chief engineer’s explanation regarding requirement of two months’ time for physical verification of the site where a grassroot LPG bottling plant would be installed in the state.
The court has instead asked the IOCL to ensure completion of physical verification of the site within four weeks.
During the hearing on Thursday, the advocate representing IOCL obtained instructions from the concerned chief engineer, wherefrom it appeared that the tendering process for establishing a new grassroot LPG bottling plant, having a capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes per annum, at Umiam in Ri Bhoi district, cannot commence before November 2021.
“We are not satisfied with the explanation as provided by the IOCL chief engineer with regard to the requirement of two months’ time to complete the physical verification process of the site where the bottling plant will be erected,” the division bench stated.
The court directed the state to render full cooperation to IOCL in completing the physical verification within four weeks.
The matter has been listed again, five weeks from now, for further consideration.