CRPF leaves to escort TTs

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 10: In view of the depleting stock of fuels at Malom Oil Depot , a convoy of empty bullet tankers left Imphal for Khatkatti, Assam today with CRPF escorts to bring in about 120 tankers loaded with POL and LPG.
At present, there are reportedly 78 loaded tankers at Khatkatti which are bound for Imphal. The CRPF escorts will also bring in six BPCL tankers and about 20 LPG tankers up to Sekmai Gas Bottling Plant.
It may be mentioned that the IOCL has about 600 POL and LPG tankers.
The IOCL has informed transporters to take advantage of the special arrangement and in- clude other POL and LPG tankers in the convoy escorted by CRPF when they return for Imphal.
Significantly, on Thursday, the Malom depot had petrol in stock for seven days and diesel for eight days.
The Sekmai gas bottling plant had a stock of 11 days only.
Notably on Thursday, the IOCL HQs in Mumbai had written to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas informing that Manipur may face an alarming shortage of POL and LPG. It had informed the Ministry about the low stock of POL and LPG in the State. The Malom depot and the Sekmai bottling plant were unable to replenish the stock since February 1, the IOCL's letter pointed out.
Giving reasons for the failure to up the stock, the IOCL said the depot and the bottling plant were unable to replenish their stocks due to landslide along Imphal-Dimapur highway near Nagaland’s Chumukedima police post, economic blockade and bandhs in hill districts of Manipur. It also stated that the CRPF has been escorting back only about 120 tankers against the normal requirement of 140-150 loaded TTs.
The IOCL in its letter also asked the Ministry to increase the tankers in the escorted convoy to 150 or enable two separate convoys to operate in a day to meet the demand/stock required by the State.