IMPHAL, June 6: Oil Tankers in the State will start parking at the Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution campus, Koirengei from tomorrow leaving their old parking spaces at the Inter State Bus Terminus, Khuman Lampak.
The step, according to sources has been taken up under the initiative of the CAF&PD minister M Okendro.
Sources informed that under the All Manipur Petroleum Tankers and Drivers’ Union, there are 590 oil tankers procuring fuel for the State from outside.
The tankers include those transporting petrol, diesel and kerosene and without the gas bullet tanker and Air Transport Fuel (ATF).
It is also learnt that while, the gas bullet tankers are parked at the Nongthomband Gas Bottling Plant, ATF Tankers are parked at the Airport.
The process of shifting of parking space for the tankers from ISBT to Koirengei will be initiated from 9am, said sources.
However, several tanker drivers and handymen have been apprehensive due to the size of the CAF&PD Koirengei campus.
Several drivers and handymen said the campus is too small to accommodate the tankers to park there.
They said even though some of the tankers may stay off road, at most time more than 200 tankers excluding the tankers that are on the road to procure fuel will be parked at the campus.
And during bandhs, blockade, general strikes the number of parked tankers will increase, they echoed before complaining that at the most a 100 tankers can park at the campus at one time.
The drivers and handymen also lamented that the shifting of parking lot to be initiated from tomorrow is on trial basis and not on a permanent basis.
They advised that it is better to find a suitable location for once and all, instead of frequent changing of place.