-Two depots has 10 lakh liters oil capacity empty and stopped about 4 years
-300 workers including 17 employees unemployed
Farmers of 4 districts are suffering because there is no diesel in the floating depot of Chilmari in Kurigram for five years. The cost of production is increasing due to buying oil at a higher price than the government directed price. District Commissioner assured to take necessary measures for regular oil supply.
Since Jamuna Oil Company Limited ran out of oil on January 8, 2020 and Meghna Petroleum Limited on February 22, the two depots have stopped receiving oil.
It is known that two floating oil depots named Jamuna and Meghna Oil Company Limited were established at Chilmari in 1989 to ensure fuel oil in Kurigram, a backward district of the country. Fuel oil is being supplied to some upazilas of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur and Lalmonirhat districts. 20 authorized dealers of the two depots purchase fuel oil at government prices and supply it to retailers. These two barges with a capacity of about 10 lakh liters have been empty of oil for about 4 years. Hundreds of local workers involved in the two floating depots have lost their jobs due to lack of oil. On the other hand, ordinary consumers have to buy oil at a higher price in the retail market.
In four districts, the daily average oil demand is around 800 to 850 liters of barrels or two lakh to two and half lakh liters for running boats, dredger machines, tractors, generators, Mahendra truck, Nachiman-Kariman and other machines in various areas including Brahmaputra and other rivers. Locals have complained that the authorities stopped the supply of oil due to navigability in the Brahmaputra river. However, ferries are regularly plying at Roumari-Chilmari on the Brahmaputra River and India-Bangladesh imports and exports are taking place.
Even the workers employed at the depot cannot tell the reason for the non-arrival of oil for a long time. However, around 300 local workers around the depot are now unemployed.
Dealer Md Maidul Islam said, since there is no oil in the floating depot, the dealers are buying oil from Parvatipur, Rangpur depot and are meeting the local demand. It is about Tk 2 more per liter due to additional transportation, shortage and labor cost to bring oil from outside. Due to the increase in oil prices and the two depots running out of oil, additional transport costs, shortages and labor costs for buying oil from Parvatipur or Rangpur depots at Tk 101.70 per liter are more than Tk 2 per liter increase automatically. All in all, it costs the dealers to buy oil and bring it to Chilmari about Tk 103.70. Then from the retailer to the buyer price goes high. As a result, farmers have to buy oil at Tk 106-110.
Farmers Aminul Islam and Azizul Haque of Thanahat Bazar area of Thanahat Union say that it is very difficult to plant in the land. Oil has to be bought at the rate of Tk 106 to Tk 100 per liter. Now it costs a lot to plant. I would have bought oil at a lower price if there was oil in both the depots. I demand from the government to give oil to the two depots. Workers Maidul Islam, Khushu, Aminul Islam and many others said that since the two depots have been closed for a long time, we have been living an inhumane life with our families for almost 4 years as there is no work for about 300 workers including 17 employees are now working on daily attendance basis to feed our family.
Jamuna Oil Company Limited depot in-charge Md Shariful Islam said a team of BPC has inspected the floating depot. The process of regularization of the depot is in progress. Meghna Oil Company Limited Depot Incharge (Acting) Shafiq Ahmed said, I am on acting duty. I can't say anything about it. In this regard, Kurigram District Commissioner Nusrat Sultana said that the matter of not having oil in the floating depot will be seriously investigated.
ZH
