THIRUVANANATHAPURAM: LPG supplies in the state are poised to come under further strain for a minimum two weeks in the state, as the three bottling plants of the Indian Oil Corporation are struggling to overcome the loss in production owing to the continuous holidays. The delay in supplies is bound to be experienced in a worst manner by consumers of the southern districts, where there is already a backlog of 30-40 days for delivery against bookings. Three days in production have already been lost in its plant at Parippally in Kollam district, which is catering to the needs of Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Around 60 truckloads of cylinders are bottled and despatched from this plant every day. The Kochi main plant of IOC is credited with a daily despatch of 150 loads and the one at Chelari (Kozhikode) with 45 truckloads. Though Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has also bottling plants at Kazhakoottam and Kochi, IOC holds the lion’s share of production and domestic customer base in the state. “Compared to other states, IOC is facing problems in LPG bottling and despatch from the trade union sector,’’ said P N Gjana Sandanam, senior area manager,IOC, Kerala. ‘’We’re augmenting LPG tanker supplies and making all efforts to bring down the backlog,’’ he maintained saying that many of the bookings for cylinders are not genuinely demand-based.“Most of the bookings from consumers is on the very next day of receiving a full cylinder,’’ he pointed out. While Sundays are usually non-operational in IOC bottling plants, authorities are concerned about the loss of additional work days in one form or the other. The problem is acute ever since transportation contract was awarded to outside agencies, doing away with a system of dealers themselves lifting the stocks in their own vehicles. In the Parippally plant ,for instance, drivers of transporting companies struck work more than once during Onam season.“It is on flimsy grounds that drivers protested ,like the suspension and entry ban imposed on a drunken driver, and went on strike,’’ said an LPG dealer. “It is true that the backlog may increase. We are used to compensating the loss in production by operating even on holidays. But unscheduled blocks like the one on last Saturday leaves the whole system in crisis,’’said A Rajendran, General Manager,IOC, Kerala. ‘’The problem is severe in the Parippally plant. Once the second plant is commissioned at Parippally, which is expected in two months time, the pressure will ease,’’ he hoped.However, a few IOC dealers are skeptical of the version of the corporation higher-ups. ‘’Even when admitting that the fleet contractors and their staff are creating hurdles for LPG cylinder movement, the fact remains that the IOC is indifferent to address issues as they save around Rs 400 per cylinder in the form of subsidy,if production is held back,’’ said M Vishnu (name changed),a dealer. ‘’They are least bothered about the grassroots level issues while consumers are holding dealers guilty for delayed supplies,’’ he charged. ‘’Political parties are not keen to exempt LPG supplies during hartals, though it is listed as essential supplies. This has compounded the problem,’’ he said.
Comments
0 comment