Exorbitant highway 'taxes' freeze LPG transportation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 05 2025: Unable to bear the exorbitant illegal taxes being collected by different power players along NH-37 (Imphal-Jiribam highway), LPG bullet TTs have decided to launch an indefinite cease work strike from tomorrow (Monday) .

Bulk LPG loaded at different loading points located outside the State is brought on NH-37 before it is unloaded in the storage tank of IOCL's Sekmai LPG Bottling Plant.

From the bottling plant, packed cylinders are distributed to consumers through LPG distributors.

This system will be thrown into disarray as transporters have decided to cease transportation of bulk LPG from outside the State from tomorrow.

Exorbitant highway 'taxes' freeze LPG transportation

Collection of exorbitant illegal taxes on NH-37, inability to make two trips in a month and the difficulties faced by transporters in maintaining their LPG trucks are the primary reasons for the transporters' decision to cease bulk LPG transportation.

The All Manipur Bulk LPG Transporters' Association held a meeting at Hotel Nirmala here this afternoon.

After threadbare deliberation on the exorbitant illegal taxes and the difficulties faced by transporters, the meeting decided to cease outward movement of LPG bullet TTs from Monday.

On the other hand, LPG distributors are unable to meet consumers' LPG demand because of the much reduced number of packed cylinders released from the Sekmai Bottling Plant.

At the moment, most LPG distributors are running into backlogs of two months, sources said.

Speaking to The Sangai Express after the meeting, All Manipur Bulk LPG Transporters' Association secretary Kh Jodha said that the fare given to LPG bullet TTs operating on NH-37 was fixed as per the tender of 2018-23 .

This tender rate was meant for movement on Imphal-Dimapur highway.

Imphal-Dimapur highway is relatively better than Imphal-Jiribam highway and LPG bullet TTs can make more trips on Imphal-Dimapur highway.

Although Imphal-Dimapur highway is also shorter than Imphal-Jiribam highway, LPG bullet TTs took Imphal-Jiribam from May 2023 on account of the violent crisis, Jodha said.

Apart from being longer, the condition of Imphal-Jiribam highway is extremely bad which means the trucks need repairing after every few trips and they cannot make even two trips in a month.

Moreover, transporters have to pay Rs 1500 during the outward journey and another Rs 4500 during the return journey.

It means each LPG bullet TT has been paying Rs 6000 for every trip.

As such, truck owners/transporters who purchased the bullet TTs at the cost of around Rs 50 lakh each after taking loans from banks are unable to pay EMIs, he said.

Highlighting the difficulties being faced by the LPG bullet TTs, representations were submitted to both IOCL and the State Government but there was no positive response from the authorities, Jodha added.