MoU for carrying Petroleum Goods to Tripura via Bangladesh signed between Indian Oil Corporation Limited and the Roads and Highways Department, People’s Republic of Bangladesh
New Delhi 19-Aug-2016
MoU being signed by Sri Pranab Kumar Das on behalf of IndianOil and
Sri Subodh Kumar Sarkar on behalf of Roads and Highways Departmentof
People’s Republic of Bangladesh in the presence of
Sri Dipankar Ray, Executive Director, IndianOil.
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd under the guidance of Petroleum Ministry, Government of India and the Roads and Highways Department of People’s Republic of Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Dhaka on 18th August, 2016. The MoU enables IndianOil to transport Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene & LPG from Meghalaya to Tripura via territory of Bangladesh in tank trucks by Road. The MoU was signed by Sri Pranab Kumar Das, Executive Director in charge (Supplies), Marketing Division, on behalf of IndianOil and Sri Subodh Kumar Sarkar, Additional Chief Engineer, Technical Services Wing, on behalf of Roads and Highways Department of People’s Republic of Bangladesh in the presence of Sri Dipankar Ray, Executive Director, IndianOil AOD State Office, Sri Harsha Shivaji, Executive Director(S&D), Sri Rakesh Jain, General Manager- Business Development, Mr K K Handique, DGM i/c (Operations) from IndianOil; Sri Chandan Kr Dey, Joint Secretary, Md Monwar Hossain, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh besides Dr Adarsh Swaika, Deputy High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh, Ms Gina Uika, First Secretary (Economics & Projects), High Commission of India in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Government, given the friendly, multi-dimensional and expanding bilateral relations between the two countries, agreed to India’s request for facilitation of the movement of IOCL trucks carrying petroleum goods to Tripura through its territory till September 2016. Both sides have also agreed to extend the transit facility for a further short period on need basis.
The supply of petroleum products to the state of Tripura has been severely affected due to the heavy rains and the dismal condition of the highway – NH 44, leading to the state from Assam. As per Petroleum ministry’s advice, IndianOil trucks were re-routed to Tripura through alternate circuitous route, reserved exclusively for Petroleum and LPG movement. Simultaneously, Petroleum products through – RORO- (Roll On - Roll Off) where the tank trucks carrying petroleum products and LPG Bullets loaded on open railway wagons, were also moved to the state of Tripura. These measures have eased the supply scenario in the state of Tripura considerably. While alternate measures have already been taken to address the situation, the facilitation extended by the Bangladesh Government under the MoU will further improve the supply situation of petroleum products in Tripura in appreciable measure.
Trucks carrying the petroleum products in the Dawki (Meghalaya) – Tamabil (Bangladesh) – Chatlapur (Bangladesh) – Kailasshar (Tripura) route in line with said MoU are expected to ply within a week.
