In order to maintain uninterrupted supply of cooking gas, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been importing at least 36 MT LPG daily from neighboring Bangladesh by road while taking protection against coronavirus pandemic, officials said in Agartala on March 20.
According to reports, IOC has employed quarantine facilities for the gas importing tankers at Indo-Bangladesh border before entering into Indian territory.
The tankers have not been allowed movement or stoppage in between while coming and going except while off-loading the gas bullet at Bishalgarh LPG bottling plant in Sepahijala.
“Since the beginning, we are following international quarantine protocol for importing cooking gas,” said a senior official of state civil supplies department, adding that Bangladesh has been exporting liquefied petroleum gas to Tripura with initial shipment of around 1,000 MT per month since the past five months.
Two privately owned firms – Omera Petroleum and Beximco LPG – have been exporting LPG to Tripura by road.
Presently, each firm is exporting around 500 MT per month, and the volume may increase to around 2,500 MT shortly, the official stated.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi had signed an agreement in October last year, which has allowed state-run IOC to import LPG.
Accordingly, LPG-carrying tankers have been shipping the fuel to Bishalgarh bottling plant through Bibirbazar land border point at Comilla in Bangladesh.
