Imphal, September 23 2017: Taking serious note of the acute shortage of LPG in Manipur, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has taken up certain special measures for the State to address the crisis .
One main factor for the acute shortage of LPG encountered in Manipur is insufficient LPG production, said an IOC source .
On account of the insufficient production, all the North Eastern States face shortage of LPG although the situation is more acute in Manipur .
Almost 70 per cent of the North East region’s LPG requirement is brought from outside the region, particularly West Bengal.
The remaining 30 per cent is generated at Bongaigaon Refinery, Guwahati Refinery and Numaligarh Refinery in Assam .
Due to the recent floods transportation of LPG from West Bengal to the North East was hit and it resulted in scarcity of LPG in all the States of the region, said the source .
Nonetheless, as the flood situation has improved considerably, IOC has taken up certain special measures for Manipur only and the same has been intimated to the State Government .
Due arrangements have been made for transportation of LPG in bulk from Rani Nagar, West Bengal to Guwahati bottling plant and then up to Sekmai bottling plant .
On the other hand, Sekmai bottling plant has been bottling LPG continuously for the past 10 days even though some bottling plants located in Assam and Tripura have suspended their daily operations due to insufficient LPG production .
Moreover, all Imphal bound LPG TTs are being loaded at different loading points on priority.
If any TT is bound for Imphal, there is no delay in loading, claimed the source .
Once bulk LPG is available at the loading points of Assam, 30 TTs would be loaded and sent to Sekmai bottling plant along Silchar-Jiribam-Imphal highway .
Although it is holiday for Durga Puja festival and there is no bulk LPG in stock, the TTs would start moving and reach Imphal in the first week of October .
In the meantime, packed LPG cylinders are being ferried continuously from Silchar and Dimapur .
If the State Government extends full cooperation, the existing situation of LPG scarcity can be effectively addressed by October 15, added the source.
Source: The Sangai Express
