With stock exhausted, LPG supply runs out
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 13 2024:
As the LPG stock at IOCL's Awang Sekmai bottling plant has exhausted, it has been almost one week since most of the LPG distributors have stopped distributing LPG to the public.
Shipment of LPG and petroleum products along Imphal-Jiribam highway (NH-37) has been suspended for several days.
As a result, supply of LPG from the bottling plant to distributors has already stopped.
This is the first impact on the people.
Next, people may not get petrol and diesel, sources said.
Following Kuki militants' attack on a convoy of POL and LPG TTs at Kaimai on Imphal-Jiribam highway on April 16 where some drivers sustained injuries and some tankers were damaged, tanker drivers undertook a cease work strike thereby affecting transportation of LPG and fuels (petrol and diesel) for several days.
Again, transportation of LPG and petroleum products was suspended for around five days after Irang Bridge was swept away by flood on May 28 .
This was followed by widespread violence at Jiribam which again disrupted transportation of LPG and petroleum products to Imphal.
As a result, LPG stock at the Sekmai bottling plant got exhausted and there is no LPG left for distribution to the common people.
A little volume of LPG is still available at the plant but it has been reserved for security forces including army and paramilitary forces, said the sources.
On account of the tense situation at Jiribam, around 600 POL and LPG TTs are currently stranded at Jiribam and another 70 at Silchar.
As of now, the Government has not yet taken up any measures to bring the stranded fuel and LPG tankers to Imphal.
On the other hand, there is no possibility of movement of LPG and POL TTs on Imphal-Dimapur highway (NH 2) .
In the meantime, some officials of IOCL regional office came to Imphal today and held a meeting with LPG distributors at Hotel Nirmala.
The meeting, however, did not discuss anything about movement of LPG and POL TTs, the sources added.