Manipur regulates sale of fuel to check hoarding

Imphal: The state government will supervise and regulate on daily basis the delivery system of fuel to the public through the outlets of IOC, BPC, and Essar with immediate effect.

A memorandum issued by the state government states that “in order to prevent the hoarding and panic buying of fuel by the public, the state government will supervise and regulate the day to day delivery system of fuel to the public through the respective outlets of IOCL, BPCL, and Essar with immediate effect.”

According to the memorandum issued on Sunday, the sale of petroleum and lubricants by the retail outlets will be rationalised until further orders.

“The issuable quantity would be as follows: Four wheelers (medium) shall be allowed up to Rs 400 per vehicle (petrol), two/three wheelers shall be allowed up to Rs 200 per vehicle (petrol), four-wheelers (medium) shall be allowed up to Rs 650 per vehicle (diesel), three-wheelers shall be allowed up to Rs 200 per vehicle (diesel) and 6/10/12 wheelers (heavy) shall be allowed up to Rs 1,000 per vehicle (diesel),” adds the memorandum.

The government has also said that all retail outlets shall submit the daily opening stock position and closing stock position through the staff of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (CAF&PD) posted at the outlets, and the lifting/delivery in jerrycan/container shall in no case be accepted in public interest except allotted to the vehicle physically brought by the respective consumers.

It has also been instructed that the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) shall intimate the quantity of fuel to the undersigned before issuance to the retail outlets.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently extended the ILP system to Manipur and some other parts of the north-east.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) will not apply to the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit (ILP) notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

Despite being given the ILP, Manipur has faced fuel scarcity due to public agitation in Assam and the other northeastern regions against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.