Mizoram Faces Fuel Shortage Amid Standoff Between IOCL and MITF

Mizoram has been facing an acute shortage of petrol and diesel following a dispute over transportation costs between Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and a state-based oil transporters forum.

Moreover, this comes at a time when the schools have started to re-open in the state.

However, oil supply will resume soon, said a minister, adding that things will get normal soon. Mizoram mostly imports petrol and diesel from neighbouring Assam.

Fuel supply has been disrupted in the state since April 1 with the Mizoram IOCL Transporters Forum (MITF) demanding a hike and refusing to transport oil at rates fixed by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

The MITF also blocked other private players from transporting petrol and diesel in Mizoram.

MITF chairman K Lalnghakliana said that the transportation cost was recently fixed by IOCL at a rate lower than in 2016.

The new rate is not acceptable for local transporters, who have been taking losses with the existing rate itself since 2016, he said.

"The forum held several discussions with the oil company on several occasions for a settlement, but with no result," said Lalnghakliana.

"They want local transporters to do the job over private players to ensure that fuel is not tampered with."

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He said that there have been instances of tampering with LPG in the past and it could happen if outsiders are allowed to enter the transportation. He further urged the state government to set up oil depots to prevent such a scenario in the future.

Nearly all of the state capital’s filling stations stood shut since Wednesday, having run out of fuel.

Meanwhile, the general public has been hit hard with the sudden crisis with capital Aizawl, which is usually busy, witnessing a drop in vehicle counts on the streets.

State supply minister K Lalrinliana said that the government was taking steps to resume the supply of oil soon, adding that the government has decided to send oil tankers from the state police and public undertaking unit to transport petrol and diesel from Assam.

Notably, MITF released a statement on Thursday saying that to ease the situation for the public, it would temporarily call of the agitation. The move did not indicate that the forum has succumbed to the IOCL’s new rate, the statement said.

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