Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 23 March 2022
ANIIDCO Operates the lone petrol pump in Great Nicobar Island which supplies fuel to the entire Island. The lone petrol pump operated by ANIIDCO has started rationing petrol supply to the residents due to non-availability of petrol in adequate quantity.
Two-wheelers are issued petrol for Rs. 100/- per day and four-wheelers are issued petrol for Rs. 500/- per day.
The residents of Great Nicobar are facing a lot of difficulties because of the rationing of petrol by the ANIIDCO petrol pump. It is not the first time that such rationing of petrol has been initiated at the petrol pump in Campbell Bay. It has become a common practice for the authorities of ANIIDCO to start rationing fuel every time there is a shortage.
On 23/03/2022, 5133 Litres of Petrol is available at the Petrol Pump in Campbell Bay and according to the authorities, a vessel is soon going to sail for Campbell Bay with petrol.
Petrol is an essential commodity used primarily by the residents for their transportation needs and adequate availability of essential commodities such as petrol should always be ensured so that the general public doesn’t have to face any inconvenience.
The residents are also not informed of the impending fuel crises in advance and only when they visit the petrol pump they are informed of the rationing imposed on the supply of petrol, which causes a lot of inconvenience to them.
Several residents of Great Nicobar live in far-flung remote areas and visit Campbell Bay once or twice a month to get fuel for their vehicle and they face a lot of problems when they are not issued fuel in adequate quantity.
The rationale behind the rationing of fuel by the authorities of ANIIDCO is to maintain a positive image with the higher authorities and to project a false sense of ‘everything is alright’ among the residents.
The ANIIDCO petrol pump at Campbell Bay still uses dispensers with analog fuel meters which are outdated today and it is very hard for a person to ascertain whether he is receiving the right amount of fuel for the amount of money he is paying.
Nicobar Times visited the ANIIDCO petrol pump at Campbell Bay to know the reasons for the rationing of the fuel. The In-Charge, ANIIDCO Petrol Pump, Campbell Bay informed us that ships are not available for transportation of fuel and hence he cannot be held responsible for the fuel crisis. The In-Charge further said that IOCL is responsible for transportation of fuel to Great Nicobar and that the supply has not been regular from IOCL due to cyclonic weather.