India now has sought permission to carry liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to its Tripura state through Bangladesh territory because of "extremely bad conditions" of the Assam-Tripura road, officials said.
Delhi says there has been an acute shortage of LPG products in Tripura as the road conditions of Lowaipura of Assam and Churaibari of Tripura, which is currently being used for delivery of the fuel to Tripura, have been rendered dilapidated due to recent rainfalls. Vehicular movement on the road has been stopped, as such.
However, the neighbouring country did not specify the volume of LPG it wants on transit through Bangladesh and how many days it wants to use the road.
The High Commission of India in Dhaka in a recent letter to the ministry of foreign affairs sought the permission and also sent a copy of the memo to the ministry of commerce (MoC) for necessary action.
Presently, India is enjoying both transit and transhipment facilities under bilateral river protocol under which it can carry goods to its states or to any third country using Bangladesh territory. In this case it has to take permission from Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) for each consignment.
India now pays Tk 192.22 as transit fee to Bangladesh for each tonne of goods.
Sources said in the latest proposal Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) wants to ply LPG- laden vehicles in sealed condition from Dawki (Meghalaya) to Kailasshar (Tripura) through Tamabil and Chatlapur of Bangladesh.
The High Commission in the letter said the total distance from Guwahati to Dharmanagar through Bangladesh is 375 kilometres. In this case, vehicles have to ply nearly 140 kilometres inside Bangladesh to reach destination.
It proposed that each day some 50 LPG tank trucks would be plying between Guwahati and Dharmanagar through Bangladesh in either direction. Besides, 10 to 15 LPG bullets of seven tonnes each and 10 to 15 packed LPG trucks would also be plying the same route daily in either direction.
The High Commission also wanted to enter into an agreement required between the two governments for carrying inflammable liquid substances and personnel driving the vehicles.
It also proposed to survey the Haldia-Kolkata-Bongaon-Benapole checkgate-Dhaka Akhaura checkpoint-Agartala route for movement of 18 tonnes LPG vehicles to avoid the current long lead movement through North Bengal.
Contacted, BIWTA chairman Mozammel Haque told the FE his office gives permission for transit and transhipment of goods under river protocol.
"But LPG is not entering the country through river routes. It is only coming in and leaving by road. So, it needs permission from other ministries," he said.
Replying to a query he said a formal transit and transhipment facility to India started through Ashuganj on June 16. Some 1,000 tonnes of steel and iron sheets were carried to Tripura from Kolkata through Ashuganj in the maiden cross-border trip.
He said recently his office gave permission for carrying 15,000 tonnes of food-grains to Tripura through Ashuganj. This is part of 35,000 tonnes of food-grain transhipment facility offered to India last year on humanitarian grounds.
A senior MoC official told the FE since LPG is an inflammable liquid substance, permission may also be needed from the ministry of energy before providing the green signal to India.
"We will soon write to the energy ministry in this regard. But, before that, opinion will be sought from the government high-ups whether India will be offered the facility and whether a deal be signed or not," he said.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
