State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) on Friday assured consumers that cooking gas supplies will not be affected due to the on-going strike by the Southern Region Bulk LPG transporters, while urging them to withdraw their indefinite protest.
In a joint release here, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., urged the public not to panic. “At present, the OMCs have bulk liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stocks at their bottling plants and distributorships will function as usual.”
The release said the recent transportation tender for bulk LPG carriers was finalised after extensive discussions with transporters from all regions, where various demands were put forth by them. Several clarifications were issued to address their key concerns, and those have been incorporated through pre-bid meetings held in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Guwahati.
The tender terms were prepared transparently following various mandatory guidelines. These clauses align with guidelines set by statutory bodies such as PESO, PNGRB, and OISD and are put in place for enhanced public safety.
“The new tender regulations are part of our on-going efforts to enhance the safety and efficiency of LPG transportation. Despite these efforts, a section of transporters has called for a strike, primarily demanding a rollback of penalty clauses related to safety violations and other matters. We expect responsible actions and understanding from our stakeholders in ensuring uninterrupted supply of LPG cylinders while adhering to required safety protocols,” said the statement issued on behalf of the State Level Coordinator for Oil Industry – Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Appealing to the transporters to call off the strike, the OMCs said they should desist from any such activities that create disturbances in positioning of essential LPG supplies so that the public are not inconvenienced.
Around 5,000 bulk LPG carriers belonging to the Southern Region Bulk LPG Transport Owners Association covering the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Telengana and the UT of Puducherry have gone on indefinite strike demanding that transport discipline guidelines (TPG) be withdrawn since they seek to impose hefty fines and punitive actions on owners and drivers. The insistence of the presence of cleaners in all trucks is also a tough clause, they say due to shortage of labour. Their trucks have not lifted product from any of the 11 loading terminals.
Published – March 29, 2025 12:58 am IST
