Fuel pumps in deep distress
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 27 2020:
Almost all oil pumps in the State are facing a hard time with the high-tech oil depot of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (OICL), Malom discontinuing split supply of petrol to the pumps including Kishan Seva Kendras (KSKs).
Some retail outlets (oil pumps) told The Sangai Express that supply of oil to two or three pumps through split load has been discontinued since November 20 creating issues in availing full supply of fuel from the depot.
Most of the retail outlets in the State have storage capacity of 20 Kilolitre (KL) and all KSKs have the same capacity, they said while adding that PCTC at Khuyathong and BE at North AOC etc are few pumps which have more than 20 KL storage facility.
These pumps with 20 KL and more storage capacity should maintain 'dead stock' of 2300 litre, they said.
When an oil tanker of 20 KL capacity has to supply the pump with 20 KL storage capacity, the dead stock will disrupt the unloading process and to avail the whole quantity from the tanker, the pump concerned has to sell the quantity equivalent to the dead stock within 24 hours, they said.
If the unloading process is not completed within 24 hours the supply system will be blocked automatically and seeking clearance will be a whole new issue.
These problems persist more in KSKs which do not sell much in a day.
Though the issue is non-existent for those oil pumps which have their own carriers (oil tanker vehicles), those pumps which do not have carriers are having a burdensome time.
As such, these retail outlets urged the IOCL to re-allow sharing of oil through split load to avoid the issue.