Fuels unavailable for essential services too
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 26 2020:
Even though the State has gone into complete lockdown in view of the COVID-19 pan-demic and detection of a positive case in the State, petrol and diesel are no long-er available to the essential service sectors too as well as those who still must move around out of compulsion.
Following the preventive and containment measures taken up by the Government, all petrol pumps of Imphal city and the valley areas closed down since Monday.
Even as some oil pumps were opened, people who came for fuels were driven away by police on the charge of violating restrictions imposed under CrPC Section 144 .
This was followed by clamping of curfew indefinitely and the Prime Minis- ter's announcement for country-wide lockdown till April 14.As a result, fuels are no longer available to the people including those working in essential service sectors.
Although the Government does not prohibit petrol pumps from doing their normal business, there is a lurking fear that a large crowd would converge once they are opened.
It is this fear which has been keeping all petrol pumps shut.
Only one oil pump each in Imphal East and Imphal West were opened today.
However, people from all walks of life in addition to those working in essential service sectors were seen thronging the oil pumps.
The particular oil pumps' stocks exhausted very soon and people forgot that there was high chance of contracting COVID-19 at such large gatherings.
Some ROs informed that both petrol and diesel are still available with them even though the IOC's Malom depot is now operating on alternate days in accordance to preventive measures taken up by the IOCL.
As there is little movement of vehicles on roads on account of the lockdown, there would be no difficulty in supplying enough fuels to ROs.
As such, it is essential for the Government to take up necessary measures so that fuels are made available to people who are in dire need of them, said a source.
Meanwhile, it is reported that there are 10 days' stock of petrol and diesel at the Malom oil depot and ferrying oil to the depot from outside the State has been going on as usual.
Normally, money collected by ROs from selling fuels are deposited in banks and transferred to the IOCL's system for obtaining the next load.
However, it is unlikely that ROs would be able to deposit money in banks under the present circumstances.
Some ROs said that they were denied entry in banks and as such they were unable to deposit money.
If no money is deposited in banks, oil pumps would be compelled to suspend their normal business, they said.
On the other hand, drivers who have been ferrying petrol and diesel are now enduring extreme misery.
There is no time to rest even for a few minutes on the journey from Dimapur to Imphal.
This is quite different from the case of other States.
TT drivers of other States have the freedom to take rest and have food whenever they feel like.
Following confirmation of a positive case of COVID-19 in the State, no truck drivers of Manipur are allowed in hotels of Assam.
Meanwhile, family members have been urging the drivers to suspend driving TTs for sometime in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As such, the Government needs to pay extra attention to the woes and requirements of TT and LPG bullet drivers, said the source.