(a): the number of persons belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes who have not been provided sites by Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited even after allotment of dealership/outlet for petrol pumps; and  (b): if so, the reasons therefor and the remedial measures taken by the Government in this regard? ANSWER MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRIJ1TIN PRASADA)  (a): As on 01.04.2010, public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs.), viz., Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPC) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPC) have issued 1315 Letter of Intent (LOI) for Retail Outlet (RO) dealerships to the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, which are yet to be commissioned.  (b): As per the extant policy, selected candidates for Retail Outlet dealerships belonging to SC/ST categories are eligible for Corpus Fund facility. Under this scheme, OMC have to procure suitable sites following the laid down procedures and make available the ready ROs with all basic facilities at its own cost.  However, the commissioning of the ROs, gets delayed, at times, as either no Government land is available for these dealerships or no appropriate offers of land are received against public advertisement for land by the Corporation.  In order to mitigate the problem of pending LOIs holders, this Ministry vide its letter dated 6.9.2006, have advised OMCs that temporary Company Owned Company Operated (COCOs) should be offered and handed over to the pending LOI holders under SC/ST category.