IMPHAL, January 27: H Ranjit, President of the Transporters and Drivers Council, has demanded that the IOC should appoint regular transport contractors for transportation of petroleum products from Ram Nagar in Jiribam or Guwahati along the National Highway 37 into the state capital so as to deal with the scarcity of petroleum products in the state. He said this while interacting with a group of select reporters today.
Ranjit further said that the government and the IOC should probe why several oil pumps continue to remain closed despite the claims of the IOC that it has been issuing 220 KL of diesel and 90 KL of petrol as is the norm.
He said, “The IOC had claimed that it had issued 220 KL of diesel and 90 KL of petrol on January 25. Since there was a general strike the next day on January 26, all oil pumps remained closed on the day but they continue to remain closed even today.”
Reasoning out that the pumps were never closed during normal times when the IOC issue the same quantity of diesel and petrol; he questioned how can some pumps claim that they have no stock, even as the IOC has claimed that it has issued the same quantity of diesel and petrol as before.
“Does this mean that the some pumps have been buying petrol from the black marketeers with a cheaper price to remain open?” he quipped.
The IOC cannot remain silent just because there is a blockade, he said and added that due to the unavailability of diesel, several trucks which have already received security escort have cancelled their trip along the NH 37 for tomorrow.
The government is yet to take up any step on the issue, he claimed.
Further on the development of the NH 37 under the BRO, the TDC president said that the Asian Car rally which will be reaching Imphal in February through the highway will not only damage the cars but could even lead to fatal mishaps due to the overwhelming bad condition of the highway.
He said the manner in which the BRO has been repairing the highway could well serve as a disgrace for the state government during the car rally.
He said he had inspected the highway where the BRO has been working on and further claimed that the condition of the highway is still in the worse condition.
“The 78 Km long stretch from Jiribam to Barak of the highway has been black-topped and there has been progress in the work but the 14 Km long stretch from Kambion to Nungba is covered by dust up-to one and a half foot. This road stretch will be the disgrace for the state government,” he claimed while adding that the stretch from I Rengpang Khongshang to Irang area is also not at all satisfactory.