Multiple pumps in Calcutta ran out of fuel by Friday afternoon and many others were running low on stocks after a flash strike by oil transporters cut off the supply line.
The city and its adjacent areas receive their stock of petrol and diesel from Indian Oil Corporation’s depot at Mourigram in Howrah.
Private transporters, who carry the fuel by oil tankers, resorted to flash strike on Wednesday, protesting a tender floated by the public sector oil company to pick truckers for the next five years.
Even though IOC has sought help from the state administration and has written to chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi, there was uncertainty on possible refills anytime soon unless the company can make alternative arrangements.
Uma Service Station in Dhakuria, one of the busier pumps in south Calcutta, had run out of normal petrol when this newspaper visited around 4pm. “Petrol out of stock, inconvenience regretted,” a poster greeted motorists. Premium petrol, a tad costlier than the normal fuel, and diesel were available.
“We ran out of stock in the morning. We are not sure when we will get a refill,” said an employee.
The GQ Mondal Service Station at Behala Chowrasta, 200m from DH Road, had run out of petrol on Thursday night. “The diesel stock is running low and should be exhausted by the evening,” the manager of the pump said around 3.30pm.
At pumps where fuel was available, many motorists opted for a full tank instead of a partial refill. “Half the cars are going in for a full tank,” said an employee at a pump in Tollygunge.
“We have a day’s stock left.”
Pumps owned and operated by fuel companies were better off. One such pump, at the intersection of AJC Bose Road and Shakespeare Sarani, one of the busiest in Calcutta, had long and separate queues of two-and four-wheelers waiting for fuel.
“We did not have any supply issues,” said an employee. Two tanks came to the pump for a refill on Friday.
An IOC official said a section of transporters had put up a blockade at the gate of the terminal preventing the entry of tank trucks for loading of petroleum products. The protesters are also obstructing entry of personnel into the premises for official work.
The agitation appears to be a fall-out of the tender IOC is floating to transport petrol or diesel from the Howrah terminal by tankers. Such a tender is floated every five years for deployment of tank trucks.
The tender was due from April 2020 but it was deferred because of requests from existing transporters on account of the pandemic. However, IOC has finalised a similar tender for oil depots located in Siliguri, Durgapur, Haldia and Malda.
