The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has started work for setting up of a liquefied petroleum gas bottling plant of 30 TMTPA capacity at Umiam in Ri-Bhoi district.
However, due to the high gradient of the proposed site, the final levelling had to be reworked at various phases considering the suitability and positioning of the storage vessels and allied facilities and also easy maneuvering of LPG cylinder trucks.
This was stated in a letter by IOC General Manager (LPG) to the Director, Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Meghalaya on September 1.
Copy of the letter was also placed before the division bench of Meghalaya High Court on November 2 during hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) on the matter.
It was also stated in the letter that the work could not be paced up as expected due to constraints faced in mobilising resources in the form of consultants, service providers and vendors due to ongoing pandemic and strict movement restrictions.
The IOC however has asserted that the proposal has been cleared at the initial levels and has now been put up to the apex level for final clearance which is expected to be cleared very soon.
During the court hearing, Additional Advocate General N D Chullai referred to the letter dated March 5, 2019 by the Deputy Commissioner (Supply), Ri-Bhoi district and said that as per initial proposal of the IOC, they were to complete the setting up of the LPG filling and bottling plant latest by 2021.
Chullai further stated that despite this assurance by the IOC, the bottling plant is at the stage of levelling of the land. He contended that there is inordinate delay in completion of the bottling plant and as a result, the State is suffering.
IOC lawyer K Khan informed the High Court that clearance from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board for the bottling plant has been obtained and once the final clearance for levelling of the land is granted, immediately tenders would be invited for the project.
The High Court during the hearing observed that setting up of the LPG bottling plant would be in public interest for the benefit of the residents of Meghalaya.
“We are also of the view that the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd must speed up and complete the setting up of the LPG bottling plant as expeditiously as possible,” the division bench said.
The court also said that it will keep monitoring the progress of the setting up of the bottling plant on a regular basis.
The next hearing on the matter will be held on December 2. The court has also asked Khan to place the further progress report on record on the next date of hearing.
It may be mentioned that the LPG bottling plant project being set up in an area of 17 acres at Umiam includes installation of three Mounded Storage Vessels of 150 metric tonnes and bottling capacity of 30 TMTPA LPG cylinders.
Primarily the new plant project was envisaged for catering customer demand for LPG in future years and to save in logistics. The total cost of the project is Rs. 73.98 crores.
