IOC facing contempt charge in MRTPC case

AHMEDABAD, Aug 30: The office of director general of investigation and registration, in its rejoinder submitted to the Monopolies and Res...

AHMEDABAD, Aug 30: The office of director general of investigation and registration, in its rejoinder submitted to the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission MRTPC in a contempt case against Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Mumbai, has told the commission that the oil company has committed contempt of its injunction order.

The director general Iamp;R had filed a contempt application last October 14 under Section 13-B of the MRTP Act, 1969, alleging that the IOC had not complied with the MRTPC8217;s injunction order dated May 31, 1993, directing the oil company to indicate in the relevant column of the challans the temperature at which light diesel oil LDO is filled in the tanker.

The injunction order came in an unfair trade practice case filed by director general Iamp;R, based on the data provided by National Council for Civil Liberties NCCL. According to the complaint, the IOC customers were getting 153 litres of LDO less in every 14,000-litre tanker. Though the standard loading temperature of LDO is 29.5 degrees Celsius, an increase in the filling temperature of LDO reduces its volume supplied to the buyer.

The rejoinder by the director general Iamp;R, which has been filed in response to a reply and additional affidavit filed by IOC in the contempt case, has submitted to the MRTPC that the oil company is completely silent8217; on the allegation that the format of challan-cum-invoice has been changed and the column for temperature has been deleted in the new format, in contempt of the commission8217;s injunction order. quot;It is the respectful submission of the DG that the deletion of column for recording temperature in itself constitutes Contempt of Court and is a continuing offence as on date,quot; the director general Iamp;R rejoinder states.

Besides, the director general Iamp;R has submitted that the oil company is evading the main issue of changing the format of the challan-cum-invoice8217; which appears to be the root cause of continuing contempt of the commission for not complying with its May 31, 1993 order. The oil company is well aware of the number of cases in which it has failed to record the temperature even in recent past, the rejoinder states.

The rejoinder of director general Iamp;R also submits that there is no merit in IOC8217;s prayer that action be taken against NCCL president V K Saxena. IOC had sought action against Saxena for levelling false allegation8217; against it. The report of the director general Iamp; concludes with the submission that the MRTPC may be pleased to proceed with8217; the contempt proceedings against the IOC. The next date of hearing is October 20, 1998.