Tanker strike; supply from Indian Oil to suffer

Kolkata, Jan 26: The Indian Oil authorities were apprenhending that the supply of petroleum products in South Bengal would be greatly affected from tomorrow itself in the wake the state Tankers' Association's indefinite "no placement" call at bulk storage terminals of Mourigram and Budge Budge.

Criticicing the Association for refusing to come to any negotiating table, the IOL sources here tonight said their demand for higher transportation rate from these two locations was "totally unjustified".

Incidentally, Mourigram and Budge Budge, besides Haldia are the most important bulk storage terminals in South Bengal for the oil industry and are the lifelines for the supply and distribution of petroleum products including the common man's fuel SKO and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).

About 200 petrol pumps of Indian Oil in addition to about 450 outlets of oil industry received their regular supply from Budge Budge and Mourigram Terminals.In addition, there are about 200 SKO dealerships attached to these two locations. Budge Budge also stores FO and LDO, the main fuels for the industry, in and around Kolkata and also for the marine vessels.

Moreover, the entire supply of aviation fuel for Dum Dum airport goes from Mourigram. On an average working day Mourigram Terminal supplies about 600 kl of petrol (MS), 2700 kl of SKO and 500 kl of ATF. Around 400 tank trucks are attached with Mourigram on oil industry basis to carry these products to the doorstep of the customers.

Describing the transportation rate contract as the bone of contension, which has already been finalized for all other five locations including Siliguri,Hasimara, Rajbandh and Haldia, from where the oil industry operates in West Bengal, the sources claimed that only in these two lactations the transporters declined to accept the best rate of transportation offered amongst all metros (in line with Delhi) and stuck to their demand for more, which is totally unviable and uneconomical for the oil industry.

Incidentally, the sources said, the oil companies recovered only a part of the transportation cost paid to the transporters and rest was all absorbed by the oil industry. Assuch "the demand for the higher rate is totally uncalled for and unjustified given the all Indian scenario of prevailing transportation rate being paid across the country by oil industry", they alleged.

UNI