GUWAHATI, July 20 - The North East Petroleum Carriers� Association (NEPCA) has announced a boycott of �loading, unloading, carrying and/or handling of petroleum products� on July 25 in protest against certain terms and conditions newly inserted in the tender documents by the public sector oil marketing companies.
�A general meeting of the North East Petroleum Carriers� Association was held on July 14 to discuss various issues pertaining to the public tenders recently floated by the public sector oil marketing companies where it was duly resolved that none of the member transporters shall participate in the tenders on account of certain terms and conditions newly inserted in the tender documents, which are blatantly unfair, unjust, absurd, unreasonable, discriminatory, arbitrary and, therefore, highly prejudicial to the interest of the local entrepreneurs presently engaged in the business of transportation of petroleum products in the region,� the association said in a statement.
It added that the new rules have been framed with the �sole intention to deprive the local entrepreneurs of their legitimate dues, in gross violation of their fundamental and other legal rights.�
NEPCA said that among other changes, the new rules propose that the duration of contracts will be five years instead of the existing three years, security deposit will be Rs 8 lakh instead of three lakh, minimum number of tank trucks with the transporter will have to be five instead of three now, and provisions for escalation or de-escalation as per change in the rate of inputs with a further provision to increase the rate after three years at the rate of five per cent in respect of non-fuel component only.
�As such, the North East Petroleum Carriers� Association, in order to register their protest against the apathy and indifferent attitude of the oil marketing companies towards resolving the common genuine grievances of the association despite repeated requests, has decided to observe a bandh on July 25 by boycotting loading, unloading, carrying and/or handling of petroleum products (white oil and ATF) in any manner whatsoever throughout the territory of the north-eastern region with an object to give an idea to all concerned about the chaotic situation that is likely to prevail otherwise,� it said.
