Imphal, September 20 2017: LPG bulk transporters too have their hands in the LPG scarcity presently endured by the people of the State .
According to some people who have been taking key roles in the supply and distribution of LPG in the State, most of the transporters who have been shipping LPG in bulk to the Sekmai bottling plant are known for defiance and they are hard to be disciplined or controlled.
These bulk transporters know the LPG situation in Manipur very well and with this knowledge, they have been acting as if they are above IOC .
Very often, they have been acting quite independently without paying any heed to the IOC’s instructions .
These bulk transporters, selected through a specific tender, should work in compliance with an agreement signed with the IOC.
Yet, they often overlook the fact that it is their primary duty to ensure availability of LPG to the consumers of Manipur in adequate quantity .
There are around 150 LPG bulk tanker trucks which are working under IOC.
But out of them, only around 70 trucks have been moving regularly to ferry LPG in bulk.
The others are quite irregular .
Even as the IOC initiated due procedures to increase the number of bulk TTs, the existing TTs have been protesting on the ground that it would reduce their LPG transportation fare .
At a time when the performance of LPG bulk transporters is quite unsatisfactory, around 10,000 number of free LPG connections have been given under the Prime Minister’s Ujjwala scheme .
Coupled with the introduction of LPG refills of 5 Kgs capacity, this has further exacerbated the State’s LPG supply .
Moreover, there were reports about suspension of bulk LPG transportation due to floods, landslides, sinking of road surface and break down of bridges.
Even though LPG transportation was affected, it had little impact on transportation of petrol and diesel.
Source: The Sangai Express
