Imphal, August 28: Even as the Commissioner of the Food and Civil Supplies Dept of the State Government has written to the authorities of the Indian Oil Company Limited to ensure that fuel are available to the people of Manipur, the IOC (AOD) has started taking action against erring transporters.

Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, a well placed source said that the IOC has started initiating action against transporters who have not moved out their empty tankers to transport petroleum products or have not reported at the Chingmeirong Depot for utilisation after the arrival of their loaded tankers.

The source said that the IOC prefers to take the route along NH-39 from the nearest refinery at Numaligarh as NH-53 is too lengthy, but added that the transporters are not keen to take this route.

This has constrained the IOC authority to take up action against a number of transporters, added the source.

A few days back, during a meeting three prominent organisations namely the UPF, IPSA and HERICOUN had convened a meeting wherein it was resolved that trucks will not take the NH-39 route and instead opt forNH-53.A number of transporters' organisations as well as drivers' bodies had also attended the meeting where the resolution was taken.

The meeting had also resolved that if any transporter or any driver violates the resolution, then they should the consequences.

After the State Government lifted the restriction on the supply and sales of petroleum product, the IOC Depot at Chingmeirong has started supplying 100 KL of petrol and 120 KL of diesel per day to the oil pumps, said the source.

This much higher than the earlier quota of 36 KL of petrol and 36 KL of diesel released by the Chingmeirong oil depot to the petrol pumps daily, added the source.

In addition to this, about 1000 KL of kerosene oil has been released for public distribution, informed the source further.

With the IOC exerting immense pressure on the transporters to take the NH-39 route, the transporters have in turn mounted on the heat on the drivers, said another source.

The IOC have even gone to the extent of threatening that the license of the transporters would be cancelled if they refuse to ply their vehicles, said the source adding that the heat turned on the drivers have left them a disillusioned lot.

According to information received from the drivers, none of them want to lift fuel on NH-39 as there is constant threat to their personal safety on this route.

Once the road stretch from Barak to Jiribam is made fit for heavy traffic then the drivers will be ready to carry on their duty regardless of the time of the day or condition, they added.

This has also been intimated to the transporters in clear cut terms.

If the transporters or owners of the vehicles continue to exert unwanted pressure, then the drivers may be constrained to totally stop taking the wheels, they said.

The stand off between the drivers and the transporters has left the IOC authorities in an uncomfortable position, said the source especially in the backdrop of the State Government placing the onus of making fuel available in the State on the IOC.

Comment