Huge rush at Meghalaya petrol pumps after Assam transporters stop fuel supply
Shillong(PTI): Massive queues of vehicles were seen at petrol pumps across Meghalaya on Thursday evening after the apex body of petroleum workers in Assam said it has stopped transportation of fuel to the neighbouring state.
Hundreds of vehicles were seen waiting at the petrol pumps as people scrambled to fill up tanks fearing shortage. The queues of vehicles led to traffic snarls in Shillong and some other parts of the state. Police officers were seen regulating the movement of vehicles at some petrol pumps where motorists turned unruly while waiting for their turn.
The Assam Petroleum Mazdoor Union (APMU) sent letters to all PSU oil marketing companies, including IOC, HPCL and BPCL, informing them about its decision to not load fuel in tankers.
The union expressed concern over the safety of Assam vehicles in Meghalaya amid violence following the killing of six people at the inter-state border.
"Our drivers and handymen were attacked when there were disturbances in Meghalaya earlier. Some of them were critically injured. They have become handicapped for their whole lives. We cannot take any risk again," APMU general secretary Ramen Das told PTI.
He alleged that trucks supplying non-petroleum products were pelted with stones in the last two days but "no harm has been done to oil tankers as of now".
"Therefore, we have decided not to take any load from today onwards until and unless Government of Meghalaya assures us (of) the safety and security of T/T (tank trucks) crews," the letter said.
The rush for fuel at the Meghalaya petrol pumps began after the letter started circulating on social media.
The Petrol Pump Dealers Association of Meghalaya said it has asked the state government to intervene to resolve the crisis.
Six people, including a forest guard, were killed in violence at a disputed area along the Assam-Meghalaya border on Tuesday, after a truck transporting illegally-felled timber was intercepted by forest personnel of Assam.
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Intercity Metro Rail line between DK, Udupi: State government asks BMRCL to prepare master plan
Mangaluru: With the aim of connecting Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts via a metro railway line, the state government has directed the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to prepare a master plan, including a brief report and a detailed project report, for the 60-km stretch.
The government has told BMRCL to submit the master plan for Phase 1 of the 60-km intercity rail connectivity corridor between the two districts. The government has also communicated with the deputy commissioners of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi regarding the project.
Former secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Mohandas Hegde had written to Dakshina Kannada District In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Minister for Large and Medium Industries MB Patil, proposing a metro railway line between Mangaluru and Udupi. In his letters, he stated that such a metro line, covering major urban, semi-urban, and industrial zones, would enhance transportation while promoting economic and urban development.
The proposal for a metro railway line between the two neighbouring districts was supported by the KPCC member, citing congestion in the current transport system, which causes inconvenience to road users. A metro line, on the other hand, is expected to reduce travel time to less than an hour. Moreover, an intercity metro railway line is considered a suitable mode of transport for connecting Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, given the high population in both districts.
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