Indian Oil to hire dedicated vessel to ferry LPG cylinders from Sri Vijaya Puram to all islands

Sri Vijaya Puram: To ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to the far-flung islands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) is planning to hire a dedicated vessel for the multi-modal transportation of packed LPG cylinders from Sri Vijaya Puram Bottling Plant to distributors and extension counters across the inter-islands.

A senior IOCL official on Friday said, "Due to disruptions in shipping schedules, LPG supply to several remote islands in this archipelago has occasionally been affected, causing severe inconvenience to the residents."

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The Department of Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs has been consistently advising us to establish a dedicated transportation mechanism that would permanently strengthen the LPG distribution network across the islands, the official said.

"Therefore, we have decided to have a dedicated vessel to resolve the long-pending demand," he said.

Acting on these directions, Indian Oil has now invited bids for a five-year contract for dedicated multi-modal transportation of packed LPG cylinders.

The tender has an estimated value of Rs 58.90 crore, covers transportation to the far-flung islands of the Union Territory, and has been issued through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) under a transparent two-bid system with reverse auction.

The dedicated LPG vessel will significantly improve the reliability of LPG transportation, minimise disruptions caused by irregular shipping schedules, and ensure timely availability of LPG cylinders to consumers living in the remote islands.

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"It will bring immense relief to the residents and further strengthen the public distribution and essential commodity supply chain in the Union Territory," the IOCL official said.

Recently, due to a prolonged domestic LPG crisis, residents of Great Nicobar Island staged a road blockade demanding immediate restoration of cooking gas supplies. Similar crises were also witnessed at other remote Islands as well in the recent past.

"This initiative is expected to be a landmark achievement in the history of LPG distribution in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands," the IOCL official said.