Oil companies offer highest tanker rate, asks for govt help

Kolkata, Jan 29 (UNI) The Oil companies today offered a 10 per cent raise on the existing tanker rates making it the highest in the country and hoped that the state government's intervention would end the stalemate at the earliest.

Speaking on behalf of the oil companies Indian Oil Corporation Deputy General Manager Goutam Datta said, ''We have offered a raise of 10 per cent which makes the rate Rs 122.67 per km and it is the highest rate in the country.'' The existing higest rate was that of Delhi at Rs 120.80 per km.

''However, the transporters are not happy. They want a rate of Rs 130 per km, which cannot be accepted by us. We are a PSU and have to go through a process. We have a Central tender Committee that decides on the final rates. Still we have taken it on us and agreed to a rate of Rs 122.67,'' he said.

When quizzed that the government held the oil companies' 'rigid attitude' the cause beind the impasse, he said, ''This is not the time to accuse one another. We have done our best and now we look up to the government to intervene and end the deadlock.'' Mr Dutta further clarified that the curent tender impasse have been resolved elsewhere in the state. The tankers have signed deals at a raise of 8.9 per cent in Haldia and Rajdanga, 1.5 per cent at Siliguri, 3.2 per cent at Maldah and 1.4 per cent in Hashimara.

''However, it is sad that the tankers association in Haldia and Rajdanga have joined strike for a day today that makes the matter worse,'' he said.

Asked what were they doing to keep some supply going, he said, ''We have some 40 trucks that are supplying oil to the priority dealers identified by us. But even that is not happening properly.

The tankers' association workers have put up blockades before our Mourigarm depot not allowing the trucks to leave. We have made a diary in the local police sattion. But we have news that the trucks were stopped even today.'' The city gets a supply of 2000 kl of petrol, 4000 kl of diesel, 3000 kl of kerosene and 800 kl of ATF everyday from the oil companies and if the current impasse continues then other than the petrol pumps running dry, there would be a scarcity in supply of kerosene and LPG. In another three-four days the airlines could also be affected if it continued at this rate.

Mr Datta further informed that the last time they had given a rate of Rs 200 and that finally came down to Rs 108. And with the inbuilt increase process in place in the tenders with the recent oil price rise their rates today are Rs 111.77 per km.

The Tankers have already called strikes in May, July and September last year and had threatened to call strikes again in december last year and January this year.

The West Bengal Tankers' Association called for the strike on January 25 and today a tripartite meeting among State Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty, oil companies and the tankers' association failed after none of the concerned parties refused to udge from their demands.

UNI