No fuel buffer stock in IOC depot; Yet another round of scarcity stares State in the face
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 26 2015: The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is unable to maintain buffer stock of fuel at their Chingmeirong depot which implies a crippling crisis in the event of any bandh, blockade or general strike along Imphal-Dimapur highway for four continuous days.

The capacity of the Chingmeirong depot is 840 Kl for petrol and 3000 Kl for diesel.

But the IOC is unable to keep these volumes of petrol and diesel untouched as buffer stocks, informed an official source.

Average daily demand of the State is 160 Kl of petrol and 450 Kl of diesel.

Corresponding to the ever growing number of vehicles, the demand for petrol and diesel has also been rising every month.

This is accentuated by the number of projects being implemented in different parts of the State.

The existing capacity of IOC's Chingmeirong depot is quite incompatible with the ever growing demand for fuel.

File pic of the IOC depot at Imphal

IOC officials are having a hard time thinking about maintaining buffer stocks of petrol and diesel.

Since the past few days, fuel are being supplied to ROs after siphoning off the day's required volume from the depot.

As fuel are being allocated based on the degree of demand, diesel stocks have dried up in some ROs.

Given the vulnerability of the National Highways connecting Imphal with other parts of the country to the vagaries of monsoon, it is crucial to stock fuel at the Chingmeirong depot up to its full capacity before the onset of rainy season.

In the event of any problem on Imphal-Dimapur highway either within Manipur or in Nagaland which blocks the highway just for four days, a serious crisis resulting from unavailability will strike Imphal.

IOC officials are also aware of these possible fallouts and they have been thinking hard to keep optimum volumes of fuel in buffer stock.

Despite all their efforts, IOC officials now find themselves helpless.

One major factor for the inability to keep fuel in buffer stock is the changed pattern of transshipping fuel.

Earlier, oil-tanker convoys escorted by CRPF went to refineries to ship in fuel every day.

But these days, oil-tanker convoys move on alternate days.

CRPF escorts were arranged for oil tankers since the days of the protracted highway blockade imposed along Imphal-Dimapur in pursuit of the demand for upgrading Sadar Hills to a full fledged district.

Oil tankers started moving on alternate days after their convoys were joined by FCI trucks.

Subsequently, CRPF jawans started escorting oil-tankers and FCI trucks separately on alternate days since October 18 last year.

Movement of oil-tankers on alternate days produced serious ramifications and the IOC has been incapacitated to maintain fuel in buffer stock in the Chingmeirong depot.

Earlier, when the oil-tankers went for transshipping fuel every day, they enjoyed the privilege of being loaded every day.

But since the new routine was introduced, the same privilege has been forfeited.

In addition to oil-tankers from Manipur, many other oil-tankers from Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and some districts of Assam are being loaded at the same place.

Although daily operation of IOC's Chingmeirong depot is said to be normal, the depot is not in a capacity to allot fuel to the full volumes demanded by ROs.

Taking serious note of the unfolding scenario, IOC officials based at Imphal have written repeatedly to the State Government to take up some concrete remedial measures at the earliest.

They have suggested the State Government to take up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs so that dedicated security escorts are provided exclusively for oil tankers engaged in transhipping fuel up to Imphal.

However, all the suggestions and appeals have yielded no positive result till date.

Earlier, when oil-tankers moved on daily basis, the Chingmeirong depot was filled with fuel to the full capacity and it was kept as buffer stock while standing TTs were used in supplying fuel to ROs.