Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 30 2010:
Following the inability to implement the Government order of distributing fuel oil at oil pumps for three days after allocating them 4 kilolitres of fuel each, due to a prohibition by the IOC, the Government issued another order to the effect that fuel be distributed at oil pumps using loaded tankers.
As per an order issued by the Under Secretary of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on April 28, there would be no restriction on allocating petrol to oil pumps based on capacities of tankers.
However, it specified that sale statements containing details like registration numbers of vehicles, quantities of fuel oil sold, date etc should be submitted to the Government before written permission are sent to the IOC for further allocation of fuel.
The Government order would be binding to oil pumps under the IOC though it did not mention anything about oil pumps not under the IOC.
However, oil pump operators have criticised the Government's order as impracticable.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here this afternoon, the oil operators said that they would not lift fuel oil for the second load until the order is rectified.
They highlighted the problem of manpower shortage and difficulties of submitting sale statements at the Secretariat, particularly for oil pumps located away from Imphal.
They also offered an alternative proposal to station a Government official at every oil pump when fuel oils are sold at these pumps as done earlier to check selling fuels in black market.
They also decried the Govt's measure of controlling oil pumps under IOC while leaving out oil pumps belonging to other companies even though all of them are operating in the same market.
Pointing out that fuel is necessary for operating generators for mobile phone towers and workshops, the oil pump owners/operators asserted that the Government's order is absurd.
Until and unless the order is rectified, no fuel would be lifted from the oil depot, they maintained adding that they would open their oil pumps only when fuel are available after the blockade ends.