State-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has proposed the deployment of Police and Ansars for security of its three oil depots to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel oil during the irrigation season.
The three depots are Chattogram, Daulatpur of Khulna and Baghabari of Sirajganj district.
BPC has made the proposal in a recent presentation to the Energy Division. A letter will be sent to the Home Ministry soon asking for the necessary assistance, a BPC official said.
At a recent meeting, it was decided to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel oil. At the meeting, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said, Our farmers have kept the wheel of the economy moving in the global epidemic. Although there is a year-round demand for fuel oil in agriculture, it increases slightly during the irrigation season (December-May).
Especially in the northern part of the country, the demand for diesel has increased tremendously.
We must supply fuel oil to agriculture timely at any cost. Uninterrupted supply of electricity and diesel will be maintained throughout the country during the irrigation season.”
The irrigation season starts from December. Diesel is required for irrigation and agricultural machinery to make seedbeds and land for cultivation. BPC, Railways and BIWTA have taken joint initiative to ensure supply of oil for farmers in the northern part of the country. Most of the oil is transported mainly by railways and waterways. But sometimes the oil transportation is disrupted due to chaos.
A BPC official said “the special measures were being taken to ensure that the supply of oil was not hampered in any way. Basically, we want the security of the three depots. After oil arrives in mother vessels, it is carried from Chattagram to Daulatpur in Khulna and Baghabari in Sirajganj. That’s why security arrangements are being made in Baghabari along with Chattagram. After informing the ministry about the matter, the ministry has directed to take action in this regard.
Currently around 73 percent of diesel out of the country's total fuel consumption is being used . However, some 18 percent of diesel is used in agriculture.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, the estimated demand for diesel and lubricated oil for diesel-run machinery for the 2020-2021 agricultural irrigation season (November 2020 to May 2021) is 19,39,370 metric tons of diesel and 51,034 metric tons of lube oil.
Diesel and other fuels already have sufficient stocks. At the BPC or marketing company level, about 84 percent of fuel oil is transported by waterways, 9 percent by rail and 7 percent by road.