Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 6: The farmers’ agitation in Punjab and disruption of train services by them for the last over one week, has badly affected the petrol and diesel supplies to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Sources told the Excelsior that if the oil companies including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum (BP) and Hindustan Petroleum (HP), failed to ensure supplies in next 2-3 days, over 70 percent of the petrol pumps in J&K and Ladakh may go dry. In Jammu, Kathua, Udhamopur and Rajouri areas, many petrol pumps do not have petrol quota while the major oil depot near Jammu Railway Station, is nearing to go dry within couple of days.
“The only and major oil depot at Jammu which dispatches supplies through tankers to entire Kashmir and Ladakh besides all the 10 districts of Jammu province, has now refused fresh supplies to Kashmir and other parts of Jammu as in view of shortage of stocks, they have now been forced to depute the oil tankers to Bathinda and Jallandhar in Punjab to maintain the supply line. And if the farmers’ agitation continued for the next one week or more, the J&K may face massive petrol- diesel crisis in coming days,” the sources added.
President, J&K Petrol Dealers Association and Oil Tankers Union head, Anan Sharma when contacted said that many petrol pumps in Jammu do not have petrol stocks and diesel is also available for hardly a day or two. He said if the Oil companies failed to ensure supplies in next couple of days, there will be major crisis in J&K and Ladakh. He said though some supplies to Ladakh are sent via Manali from Jallandhar and Bathinda depots, yet from Jammu deport also, the supplies are rushed to Ladakh.
Replying to a question, Sharma said senior officials of IOC, HP and BP at Jammu have conveyed to the Association and also to the Petrol pump owners to send their tankers to Jalandhar and Bathinda instead of Jammu as the local depot do not have enough supplies available, in view of the non-arrival of trains at Jammu since October Ist due to farmers’ agitation in Punjab.
The Association president further said that about 400 oil tankers are lifting petrol/ diesel/ K.oil supplies from Jammu depot on daily besis. Out of them, about 50 percent tankers are going to Kashmir and Ladakh. He said even if the supplies are brought by road from Bathinda and Jallandhar, the shortage would be felt in coming days in J&K.
Sharma further disclosed that up to Jallandhar IOC Depot, the oil supplies reach through pipe line while at Bathinda there is HP depot. He said the Govt must take initiatve to ensure free movement of trains in Punjab and other places to over come the growing crisis.
Iftikhar Hassan, Kashmir Oil Dealers Association, Executive Member said that Kashmir has started facing the fuel shortage and in next 2-3 days, the problem may aggravate, He said the oil companies officials today asked the Assocoation and oil dealers to depute their tankers directly to Bathinda and not Jammu depot to lift supplies. He said since Bathinda is far off station, it would further affect the supply position in Kashmir. Another member Najib Naqvi from Srinagar said that Kashmir is going to face the crisis from tomorrow or the day after as the petrol pump owners are running out of stock.
Chief Divisional Manager, Bharat Petroleum, Jammu, Rajesh Sharma when contacted said that due to ongoing farmers’ agitation in Punjab, no train with petrol/diesel arrived at Jammu depot since October Ist. He said this Jammu oil depot ensures supplies to entire J&K and Ladakh areas. This disruption in train services has caused this crisis but alternative arrangements are being made to fetch supplies through tankers from Bathinda and Jallandhar in Punjab. He said the tankers from Kashmir and other areas are being asked to move to Punjab for lifting supplies.
Anjum Ahmed Gilani, Chief Depot Manager, HP at Jammu, however, claimed that there is no need to be panicky over the issue. He admitted that shortage is going to be faced due to disruption in train services but maintained that alternative arrangements are being made by the Oil Compnaies to bring supplies by road from Bathinda and Jallandhar for ensuring supplies to petrol/diesel outlets in J&K. Gilani hoped that train services would be restored with the Govt initiatve shortly.
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