AGARTALA, July 3 - Worried by the sharp fall in the supply of petrol due to suspension of vehicular movement on the Assam-Agartala National Highway, Tripura Government on Sunday imposed fuel rationing.
As per the new system, a biker is allowed to buy petrol amounting to Rs 200 per day, Rs 300 for autorickshaw and Rs 500 for four-wheelers.
However, there is no bar in collecting diesel as its supply has not been affected by the present condition of the national highway.
Informing this to the media, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhanu Lal Saha said all the DMs, SDMs and petrol pump owners have been asked to implement the government decision.
He clarified that the government has taken the decision of rationing of petrol due to sharp decline in the petrol supply in the aftermath of the deplorable condition of the national highway.
Saha said the State requires 15/16 tankers oil daily while the present supply is not more than 10/11 trucks leading to a wide deficit in the supply.
�Tankers are ready to arrive here but could not make it due to very critical condition of the national highway. More so, big size oil tankers are not allowed to move on the alternative highway�, he pointed out.
The Minister said he had a meeting with IOCL�s executive director Dipankar Roy and discussed the present scenario of supply of petroleum products, mainly petrol and LPG.
Saha said IOCL is planning to bring petroleum products through Meghalaya�s Dawki to Raghna (Tripura) via Bangladesh to tide over the crisis-like situation. �Roy assured that IOCL will take up the issue with the Central Government immediately�, he said.
Putting blame on the Centre and the Assam Government for the present situation, he said the State Government has been demanding for immediate renovation of the national highway for a long time.
�The situation would not have deteriorated like this if steps were taken earlier. Of late, NHIDCL has taken up the repairing works on the national highway. It will begin works on the lifeline by next one week�, he said.
