Mizoram has been facing an acute shortage of petrol and diesel following a dispute over transportation costs between Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and a state-based oil transporters forum.
Moreover, this comes at a time when the schools have started to re-open in the state.
However, oil supply will resume soon, said a minister, adding that things will get normal soon. Mizoram mostly imports petrol and diesel from neighboring Assam.
Fuel supply has been disrupted in the state since April 1 with the Mizoram IOCL Transporters Forum (MITF) demanding a hike and refusing to transport oil at rates fixed by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).
The MITF also blocked other private players from transporting petrol and diesel in Mizoram.
MITF chairman K Lalnghakliana said that the transportation cost was recently fixed by IOCL at a rate lower than in 2016.
The new rate is not acceptable for local transporters, who have been taking losses with the existing rate itself since 2016, he said.
“The forum held several discussions with the oil company on several occasions for a settlement, but with no result,” said Lalnghakliana.
“They want local transporters to do the job over private players to ensure that fuel is not tampered with.“