IMPHAL, Feb 18: Red faced over a recent report on the discrepancy in the sales and distribution of LPG which has caused immense hardship to people in Manipur, the IOC has come out with an unconvincing clarification claiming shortage of LPG supply to the state as responsible for the acute crisis in the state according to an NE TV Imphal bureau report made available to the media.
It said, the transport union of Manipur however has contradicted the IOC claim of supply shortage as false while maintaining that supply of LPG in the state has been regular even during the recent economic blockade. Strangely the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAF & PD) department of the state which had overlooked the sales and distribution of LPG until January is shying away from the issue while failing to clarify on its role in the crisis.
Meantime, the IOC claimed that supply of LPG over the last 8 months have fell short of the required domestic consumption while citing data of supplies for the last 8 months as a result of the 121 economic blockade on the national highways. According to the unofficial statement from the IOC, the 121 days long economic blockade which ended on October last week had forced the IOC to use the NH 53 as its supply route, restricting the supply of LPG below the required domestic consumption of 1800 MT per month. However, the General Secretary of Manipur Road Transport Union and member of the Transporters’ and Drivers’ Council – N Kulamani has contradicted the IOC statement while claiming there is no dearth of LPG supply as the state transporters union has so far ensured adequate LPG supply from Lakwa and NRL in Assam to the Sekmai Bottling Plant in Imphal. Oddly, the IOC’s unofficial clarification also failed to mentioned how the LPG stock of 5928 metric tons supplied in the last 7 months failed to reach the consumers as many consumers whose booking were registered 4 months ago have been denied a refill. In this regard the state department for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution which had been handling the sales and distribution of LPG before January has also failed to give any clarification on the unexplained disappearance of LPG stocks from Sekmai bottling plant which has been functioning without any disturbance.
Corroborating on the existence of a discrepancy in distribution, N Kulamani alleges that there is still an abundance of LPG stock in the Sekmai Bottling plant but due to malpractices in the allocation of LPG cylinders to private agencies the same has failed to reach consumers. Neither the directorate of Consumer Affairs nor the police have taken up any action to stop the divergence of LPG cylinders to the black market. Meanwhile the LPG crisis in Manipur remains precarious still, as there have been charges of monopoly and nepotism inside the main distribution of LPG cylinders at the Sekmai Bottling plant. Till now, the Directorate of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in Manipur has shown utter disinterest on the acute crisis of LPG despite months of hardships to the public. To raise even more eyebrows, the Director of the CAF & PD decline an interview with NETV while stating that the department does not want to be caught between the controversy.