The Petroleum, Oil, & Lubricants (POL) Service Centre at Norgaygang Gewog in Samtse has been closed for about two years now. The gewog says the centre should be handed over if the Farm Machinery Corporation Limited (FMCL) cannot keep it in operation. Established in 2018 in the gewog, the centre provided LPG, fuel, and power tiller hire services before closing shop.
Before closing for good due to sustainability issues, the POL Service Centre wrote to the gewog to increase service rates for fuel and LPG. Despite higher than usual rates, the Gewog Tshogde approved the request. However, the centre did not reopen.
“Until stocked items finish, they won’t even bring in refills. They take the collection from here, deposit it and wait for approvals from their office before we get ready POL services,” said Rinchen Dorji, the Norgaygang Gup.
According to the FMCL CEO, the services were stopped since revenue from the centre could not even pay the operator. The plan now is to control POL services from their larger centre at Yoeseltse Gewog, but due to the pandemic restrictions, works are on hold. The CEO says FMCL will handover the POL Service Centre if the gewogs insist but is not advisable.
However, the gewog is ready to make it work. “If the centre is handed over to us, the gewog will find a way to operate it. It can also be run by youth. This will give the youth an employment opportunity and benefit the entire Norgaygang Gewog,” the gup added.
For now, the depot is unutilised and covered in overgrown bushes.
Sherub Dorji
