Imphal in yet another spell of fuel scarcity
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 21 2015 : The State has been reeling under a serious spell of artificial fuel scarcity since the past one week-a point driven home by the fact that petrol is available abundantly in the black market.

In the past, scarcity of fuel was caused due to prolonged highway blockades.

But at present there is neither highway blockade nor prolonged bandh, but fuel mostly petrol are not readily available at most of the petrol stations and outlets.

According to a random study conducted by The Sangai Express, a litre of petrol which was sold at a normal rate of Rs 58.39 in retail outlets is today sold at Rs 90 to Rs 100 in the black market.

Most of the petrol outlets/ filling stations have remained closed since the past few days causing a panicky situation amongst the consumers.

Capitalizing on the situation, black marketers have been selling petrol at a rate much higher than the normal rate and thus doing brisk business.

The answer to the question on who supplies petrol to these black marketers remains unclear.

Even though some petrol stations in the State are supplying petrol to consumers in a rationed system, a large number of consumers throng the few open outlets everyday adding to the chaos and panicky situation.

A consumer, while talking to The Sangai Express, said he would choose to buy petrol in the black market although at a higher rate instead of wasting precious time standing in queue to get few litres of petrol under the scorching summer heat.

A roadside petrol seller on anonymity revealed that she could buy petrol in large quantity from people working in petrol pumps and tanker truck drivers and handymen at a higher price at times of petrol scarcity.

She further said that it is one big festival for them as they can earn double the money they invest.

The primary cause of the present petrol scarcity, as reported in this paper earlier, was suspension or reduced rate of shipping in fuel and poor and unreliable internet services.

Showing impatience, a consumer who was standing in queue waiting for his turn to fill fuel flatly asked, "Where is the Govt ?" .

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