Nepal sends SOS to India asking for petroleum supplies

With just enough petroleum stocks left for two days after Indian Oil Corporation slashed its supplies on non-payment of dues, the Nepali government has sent an SOS to India.

According to The Himalayan Times newspaper Saturday's report, Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister Rajendra Mahato met Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee Friday to urge the Indian envoy for help.

"I requested the Indian ambassador to ask IOC to resume supplies and give us some time to clear old dues," Mahato was quoted by the daily as saying.

The specter of the worst fuel crisis ever loomed large after the Indian company, the lone one exporting oil to Nepal, reduced petroleum supplies by 40 percent in a bid to pressure the importer, state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation, to clear old dues.

The NOC owes the Indian firm about 5.96 billion Nepali rupees ( some 85 million U.S. dollars) " and the IOC this month refused to send oil until it received 150 million rupees (2.1 million dollars) a month.

Source: Xinhua