Shipping deficit Oil pumps run dry sans blockade
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 18 2015 : Closure of oil pumps and scarcity of fuel oils during prolonged highway blockades is under-standable.

Nowadays, there is neither highway blockade nor prolonged bandhs but fuel oils, particularly petrol, are no longer available readily at most of the retail outlets.

An independent investigation by The Sangai Express revealed that one primary factor for the sudden scarcity of fuel oils is suspension or reduced rate of shipping fuel oils.

As the capacity of the IOC's Chingmeirong oil depot is very small, fuel oils stocked in the depot are kept untouched as far as possible except under compelling circumstances or emergency situations while standing tanker trucks or TTs are used to supply fuel oils to ROs.

However, the number of loaded TTs which arrived here this month was quite insufficient.

Meanwhile, it is reported that IOC officials and the DGP held a meeting today about the fast depleting fuel oil stocks.

The meeting decided to send TT convoys with security escorts for three consecutive days starting from tonight to ship in fuel oils from different refineries.

A closed and deserted oil pump sums up the situation

According to reports obtained from IOC, TT con- voys escorted by CRPF reached Imphal only on seven days during the past 17 days, that is, till April 17 .

IOC's share in the State's fuel oil market is 90 Kls of petrol and 220 Kls of diesel per day.

In another word, IOC's share of the fuel oil market is 65 per cent while NRL/BPCL shares 30 to 35 per cent.

During the seven days of this month when TT convoys moved with CRPF escorts, altogether 113 Kls of petrol and 329 Kls of diesel were shipped in.

Even though the quantity of fuel oils shipped into the State was quite less than the normal, IOC supplied fuel oils to ROs in much greater quantities than the average daily requirements.

Till April 17, 4590 Kls of diesel and 1924 Kls of petrol were issued to ROs from the depot within the current month.

On account of allocation of fuel oils in quantities greater than the normal, the number of TTs stationed at Malom oil depot has declined dramatically.

Nonetheless, the IOC approached the State Govern- ment repeatedly to make necessary arrangements so that TT convoys escorted by CRPF can move everyday for transshipping fuel oils into the State as done before August last year or at least five days in a week.

In the beginning of the current month, a top ranking IOC official based at Mumbai came to Imphal and urged the State Government to arrange CRPF teams exclusively for escorting TT convoys so that these convoys can move everyday or at least five days in a week.

The State Government is yet to take up any action on the matter and all the letters written by IOC have gone in vain.

Since August 2011, TT convoys escorted by CRPF used to move everyday to ship in fuel oils but after FCI trucks joined the TT convoys the pattern of movement was changed to every alternate day from every day.

In case there was bandh, blockade, general strike or any other form of disturbance like sinking of highway, the scheduled trip to ship in fuel oils was cancelled altogether.

Another factor which contributed to the present scarcity of fuel oils was BSNL's bad internet connectivity.

On account of poor internet connectivity, challans could not be prepared in time thereby delaying fuel supply to ROs.

As the internet connectivity was not available for at least five hours in a day, IOC staff manning the depot encountered severe difficulties.

Even as they arrived at their office at 9 am, they remained idle for hours as internet connectivity was not available.

The existing situation needs immediate intervention of the State Government otherwise ROs would remain dry.