Mizoram minister K Lalrinliana informed that the state government is planning to set up an oil depot in the state and work will likely begin in the next three months.

The minister for food, civil supplies and consumer affairs said on Monday that the state regularly faced shortages in supply as there are no oil depots in Mizoram presently.

While addressing a session at the offices of the Mizo National Front (MNF), Lalrinliana said, “We are the only state in the country which has no oil depot. We have no storage facility except those in filling stations, which can stock fuel that can last for only five days.”

He said that the construction works for the oil depot is expected to begin in the upcoming months.

The state government is also taking steps towards setting up more gas bottling plants that can store LPG supplies for at least three months, Lalrinliana added.

The Mizoram minister further informed that the state had sufficient stocks of rice to last seven months.

It may be noted that Mizoram was hit by an acute shortage of petrol recently due to heavy rains causing landslides and floods in several parts of neighbouring states Assam and Meghalaya, snapping supply lines as it primarily imports oil and LPG from neighbouring Assam.

However, the situation has now improved, according to an official of the state’s supply department.