JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, chaired a high-level meeting today to review the availability and distribution of petroleum products in the remote and far-flung areas of Jammu & Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Saurabh Bhagat, Deputy Commissioners of Ramban, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, Controller of Legal Metrology, Director FCS&CA Kashmir/ Jammu, Director Finance FCS&CA, Special Secretary FCS&CA, SSP Traffic, State Level Coordinator for Oil companies, representatives from Hindustan Petroleum, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum.
The meeting focused on addressing the challenges posed by geographical barriers, difficult terrain, and logistical difficulties in ensuring the timely and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products to remote regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
During this meeting, the Chief Secretary emphasized on the need to streamline the fuel supply chain to ensure timely delivery to remote areas. He stressed on the importance of inter-departmental coordination to create a more efficient delivery system capable of meeting the demands of far-flung areas.
While reviewing logistics and infrastructure improvements, the Chief Secretary stressed on strengthening fuel distribution networks, including the possibility of establishing additional supply points in regions with high demand for petroleum products. He also called upon the officers to explore alternative solutions for remote areas like introducing mobile fuel supply units, to address the challenges of reaching areas that are difficult to access due to harsh weather or geographical limitations.
The Chief Secretary also asked the officers to launch a public awareness campaign to ensure residents are well-informed about fuel availability, distribution schedules and emergency requirements. He further directed the officers to engage with oil marketing companies to explore opportunities for enhancing storage capacities and expanding infrastructure at strategic locations.
Taking stock of disruptions in transportation due to adverse weather, the Chief Secretary directed the officers to allow the vehicles carrying essential supplies on a priority basis to prevent any delays in the supply chain. He also asked the officers to prioritise the transportation of railway racks carrying petroleum products coming from Punjab to Jammu to ensure timely delivery to remote areas.
The Chief Secretary further called the representatives of Oil companies to take immediate steps for ensuring a minimum of 15 days’ stock is maintained at oil depots in Jammu, while 10 days’ stock is made available at retail outlets across the region. He asked them to maintain 20 days’ stock at depot levels and 15 days’ stock at retail outlets in the Kashmir valley.
He further directed the Deputy Commissioner Kathua to monitor the movement of stranded vehicles on a priority basis and take necessary action to ensure the swift movement of goods and supplies.
The Chief Secretary also passed directives to Deputy Commissioners of Ramban, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, and Kishtwar to monitor stock availability in far-flung areas.
During the meeting, State Level Coordinator informed the meeting about the upcoming Common Utility Facility (CUF) at Bajalta, which will have a storage capacity of 1 lakh kilolitres and is expected to be operational by December 2025.
