BackLPG cylinder transporters go on indefinite strike amid pending dues, other unresolved issues
‘The IOC authority cancelled the previous tender for carrying LPG cylinders as per direction of the Union Petroleum Ministry,’ the North-East Packed LPG Transporter Association (NEPLTA) said
PremiumThe North-East Packed LPG Transporter Association (NEPLTA) has reportedly called for an indefinite strike in an attempt protest against several issues, including pending dues and the latest tender floated by Indian Oil Corporation, among others. The indefinite strike began on Monday has been to draw attention to the issues faced by the transporters in Assam. The association, which reportedly transports cylinders from bottling plants to dealers, has voiced opposition against floating of the new tender at a lower amount than 2011 rates and non-refund of toll charges, among several other issues, news agency PTI reported.
Niranjan Mahanta NEPLTA president told PTI, “the IOC authority cancelled the previous tender for carrying LPG cylinders as per direction of the Union Petroleum Ministry. Thereafter, IOC invited us at various places to find out ways to remove suspicion in the minds of existing transporters." Mahanta further claimed that the contracts with the transporters were renewed in 2015 at the rates of the 2011 tender and all vehicles were still plying as per the seven-year-old tender, adding that the new tender “asked us to file bids at even five per cent lower than the 2011 amount. How is that possible when inflation has soared like anything in the last 11 years?"
Additionally, Mahanta said, the company had assured of refunding all the amount charged in toll gates across the northeast, and pay the sum deducted for calculating lower distance between two places, but nothing has been done so far. "Last year, we had a discussion with the top officials of IOC in presence of the Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameshwar Teli. They had promised not to float a new tender until all our pending dues were cleared. However, a fresh tender has been floated and our dues are still pending," Mahanta said.
The IndianOil-AOD which is IOC's northeast division, has an installed capacity to bottle 5.23 crore LPG cylinders every year at its nine operational plants, while the capacity utilisation stood at 5.11 crore units. Mahanta alleged that as per a new clause in the tender, contracts will be signed with those bidders who offer a greater number of vehicles for transporting packed cylinders.
"This is just a ploy to deprive local transporters because we are small players with limited number of trucks," the NEPLTA chief said according to the PTI report. Considering all these factors, a resolution of non-cooperation has been passed at the NEPLTA executive meeting, and an indefinite strike called from Monday at all the bottling plants of IOC in the northeast, he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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