Reported by Laxman Sharma
Nearly Rs 20 lakh in alleged unpaid dues and fresh accusations of commission demands, threats and opaque payment practices have deepened a dispute at the Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s Assam Oil Division (AOD) canteen in Digboi, suppliers and officials say. A senior AOD official told Northeast Now on condition of anonymity that former canteen in‑charge Dipak Bhuyar was removed months ago after allegations that he had demanded commissions from vendors and that an internal inquiry followed. The canteen is run by Mumbai‑based contractor M/s Vidya Caterers.
Several local suppliers — including Shanti Traders, Organic Point, Gautam Enterprise and Samsuddin Mutton Shop — allege that payments totalling nearly Rs 20 lakh have been pending for close to a year despite their goods being received and consumed by the canteen. Individual claims include Simanta Deori’s Rs 4 lakh for vegetables, Rocky Agarwal’s roughly Rs 8 lakh for groceries, Samsuddin Ali’s Rs 21,300 for meat, and Kanhaiya Prasad Jaiswal of Gautam Enterprise’s claim of Rs 6,54,509 for bottled water supplied to various AOD units.
Jaiswal told reporters that when he repeatedly sought payment, Bhuyar threatened him with “dire consequences”, boasted of influential connections in New Delhi and used abusive language involving Jaiswal’s family; Jaiswal said those conversations were recorded and preserved. Vendors also allege that some canteen staff routinely demanded commissions to facilitate supplies and payments, and that such amounts were paid periodically in the hope of clearing outstanding bills.
This journalist has accessed four audio recordings the complainants say capture Bhuyar using threatening and abusive language. The recordings have not been independently authenticated; if verified, their contents could raise serious concerns about the canteen’s outsourced operations and management oversight. Suppliers have further alleged that some partial payments were made in cash rather than through banking channels, creating transparency and audit‑trail concerns.
An AOD official said Vidya Caterers emailed management saying the contractual quota of 7,000 Bisleri 20‑litre water jars had been exhausted within a year and that any additional supply would be financially unviable; the contractor reportedly advised the management not to continue availing services from sub‑vendors on its behalf. Despite that, vendors say the canteen continued to accept water and other supplies from local firms without informing them of the contractor’s position.
When contacted, Bhuyar reportedly acknowledged that supplies had been received and said J.C. Das, General Manager of Assam Oil Division, was aware of the matter and was the competent authority to press Vidya Caterers for release of pending dues. The current canteen in‑charge told Northeast Now he was unaware of the dispute when he took charge and that several corrective measures have since been introduced.
Sources said AOD management convened a meeting on Monday to examine complaints and supporting materials submitted by vendors and is preparing a formal response. For affected suppliers the issue is simple, they say: goods were delivered and consumed, but payments remain pending, and they now expect IOCL‑AOD management to intervene and resolve the deadlock.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/iocl-aod-canteen-row-former-in-charge-removed-amid-threats-abuse-and-commission-allegations.html
Category: Assam,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-05-11 21:40:00
