Himalayan News Service

Biratnagar, March 29:

The Eastern Region Petroleum Transporters’ Association (ERPTA) has protested the government’s inaction towards resolving a crisis that emerged after Road Transport Unit (RTU) of Bihar took control of 10 oil tankers bearing Nepali number plates. The ERPTA in a press meet today has asked government to use diplomatic means to free the tankers that had gone to India to bring the oil to the country. Shiva Ghimire, the ERPTA chairman, after his visit to Bihar, complained about the government’s silence on the issue. According to Ghimire, local transport office of the RTU has decided to impose hefty fine on the Nepali tankers - IRs 68,000 for the tankers carrying 12kl petroleum and IRs 105,000 for the tankers carrying 20kl petroleum - for ‘failing to pay road tax’.

The tankers had been kept in custody from Nawaghachhiya of Bagalpur, Bihar on March 18.

The RTU also has filed a case in local transport office accusing Nepali tankers of evading road tax. Ghimire, during his visit to Bihar, told the officials there that the tankers had obtained road permit from the Indian Embassy but they were adamant that the tankers had to pay the road tax. The ERPTA clarified that the Nepali oil tankers heading Silgudi, Raxaul, Farbisgunj and Barauni of India to bring oil into Nepal had not been paying any such tax for the last 30 years. Ghimire said, “The Indian officers are refusing to release the tankers when we were ready to pay the required tax if we need to.”

The ERPTA has threatened of boycotting oil transport from India if the matter was not solved at the earliest. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) regional office, Biratnagar chief Arjun Singh said the NOC was suffering a loss of Rs 2.24m (IRs 1.4m) a month for failing to import oil from Barauni Depot. He informed that the NOC was bringing fuel from Raxaul and Amlekhgunj after the transportation from Barauni depot was stopped. “Though there is no fuel shortage, the import has reduced.” A total of 140 Nepali tankers used to transport petroleum from Barauni depot of India but only 43 are on the road at present.