More than 300 trucks carrying raw petroleum coke from Indian Oil Corporation refineries in Assam have remained stranded at the Assam-West Bengal border for over a fortnight, with traders and transporters alleging that West Bengal authorities are refusing passage without issuing a written order or giving a specific reason.
The trucks, stopped around Srirampur and Bakshirhat, are carrying raw petroleum coke, or RPC, from IOCL refineries in Guwahati, Digboi and Bongaigaon to calcination units in Barauni, Bihar, and other industrial destinations. The consignments need to pass through West Bengal in transit.
The Barauni Calciners Association has sent an SOS to the Prime Minister’s Office, seeking intervention after representations to the West Bengal Chief Minister’s Office, the chief secretary, senior home and finance officials, police authorities and GST officials did not resolve the matter, according to the report.
The association said the consignments were supported by IOCL invoices, e-way bills and other valid documents, and that GST had been paid. Transporters alleged that police and GST officials at the location had referred only to “orders from above” while stopping the vehicles. They said no written communication had been served identifying the issuing authority, the legal provision involved, the reason for detention or the process for releasing the trucks.
Traders said that if any consignment or vehicle was found to be in violation, authorities should inspect the cargo, seize deficient vehicles or issue formal notices instead of leaving the trucks immobilised indefinitely. The allegations reported by the association and transporters have not been accompanied by a written detention order from the authorities in the supplied material.
The prolonged stoppage is also affecting drivers and vehicle owners. Drivers from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh told the publication they were facing shortages of food and drinking water, safety concerns at night and instances of diesel theft. Truck owners said they were incurring daily losses and struggling to meet loan instalments while the vehicles remained idle.
RPC is a petroleum-refinery by-product and is distinct from coal, the Barauni Calciners Association said. It is used as the key raw material for producing calcined petroleum coke, which in turn is used in aluminium smelting and graphite electrode manufacturing. Barauni, in Begusarai district, is a major production centre for calcined petroleum coke.
Industry representatives warned that a continued disruption could affect production at CPC units, downstream industries and the lifting cycle from Assam refineries. They said the stoppage was increasing financial losses for manufacturers, traders, transporters and drivers with each additional day.
The association has asked the Centre to raise the matter with West Bengal at the highest level and ensure the movement of consignments carrying valid documentation. The next step sought by the industry body is immediate intervention to clarify the legal basis for the stoppage and enable the release or inspection of the detained trucks.
