Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Mar 12: The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) will dispense BS-VI fuels in Arunachal from 1 April, the corporation’s Northeast Head, G Ramesh, said on Thursday.
Addressing reporters at the Arunachal Press Club here, Ramesh said the upgrade to BS-VI fuel “is an effort of the IOCL to ensure a smooth transition for the country’s new pollution norms and digitization of the oil sector by the IOCL.”
As a part of the digitization process, several initiatives have already been started, including launching of a unified mobile app to monitor the fuel needs of consumers; issuance of e-receipts to consumers; making it possible to book Indane cylinders through WhatsApp; and introduction of toll-free number 1906, where consumers can send feedback or lodge complaints.
In order to promote a cashless economy, Ramesh said, “the IOCL has rolled out a cash-back campaign, wherein a customer can get 10 percent cash-back on refuelling through UPI or ATM card, and 40 lucky customers can win Rs 5000 daily.”
“The IOCL has spent Rs 17000 crore on refinery upgrade for BS-VI fuels in India, and around Rs 400 crore in the Northeast,” he added.
He said several new retail outlets and LPG distributorships have been commissioned for Arunachal while nearly 100 outlets in the NE states will be retrofitted with modern amenities as part of the IOCL’s effort to augment the existing infrastructure.
“The Doimukh depot near here was revamped at an estimated cost of Rs 247 crore and has been operating successfully since December 2019,” he said.
Ramesh expressed hope that “these oil outlets will not only increase investments in the Northeast but will also provide employment, both directly and indirectly, to people living in urban as well as rural areas.”
IOCL officials who accompanied Ramesh said the corporation has spent Rs 7 crore on projects in Arunachal in the last three years under its CSR programme.
They said some of the prominent ongoing projects include providing drinking water to schools in Namsai district; providing ambulance and medical equipment to health centres in West Kameng; and construction of a hostel for nursing students in Aalo, West Siang district.
