AGARTALA, Dec 25 (TIWN): There is no respite from the crisis situation in Tripura even on the occasion of Christmas. Common men at Agartala were found in long lines for fuel since the morning amidst cold & fog. Reportedly, because it’s holiday so more lines before petrol pumps were observed as bikers are managing their whole week’s fuels inside their vehicles-- because ‘fuel ending’ means for 3/ 4 hrs waiting before a petrol pumps. Moreover, there is no guarantee that fuel will be available in petrol pumps if it finishes. Asking few young men at Durga Bari petrol pump, they told TIWN, “We are planning for long rides at evening and for that we need fuel for which we are standing in long lines since 3 hrs”. Another person name Subrata Pal said, “As it’s holiday, so this is the best time to waste before petrol pumps, who knows when ‘No-Petrol’ sign will be hanged before every petrol pumps”.

The petrol pump workers' agonies also have no end in this festive season, as from morning to night they are doing their jobs. 

Tripura is undergoing tremendous petrol crisis since last 20 days. The crisis was more increased when Manipur mess chokes fuel supply to Tripura, Mizoram. Maintaining fuel supplies to trouble-torn Manipur has led to a shortage of petrol, diesel and cooking gas supply to two other states - Tripura and Mizoram. Officials of the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) that supplies these fuel to the northeast from its refineries in Assam, however, said in Agartala that the crisis would be over within a week.

The state government has asked the IOCL to take urgent steps to bring normalcy in the availability. Chief Secretary Yashpal Singh held a meeting with the IOC and Food Department officials and reviewed the situation.  Moreover, the Chief Secretary has asked the IOCL officials to improve the situation at the earliest.

However, with all these the massive fuel theft has remained at the top point of business in state, especially in Dharmanagar area, which causing tremendous fuel crisis in other parts of the state.

As a result, the Christmas occasion is facing a crisis of fuel including diesel and cooking gas too.