The Hindu Business Line : Vivada ties up with Reliance for diesel retail sales `on board'

VIVADA, a local inland water transport company, has joined hands with Reliance Industries Ltd to provide for the first time floating facility for retail sale of diesel to fishing trawlers and boats at Namkhana near Sunderban area in South 24 Paraganas district which is criss-crossed with rivers and canals.

The facility, to be available on board a vessel belonging to Vivada, was inaugurated last week at Namkhana, about 100 km from here, by the West Bengal Transport Minister, Mr Subhas Chakraborty.

Mr K. Shankar Narayanan, Chairman of Inland Waterways Authority of India, Commodore (Retd) P. Tayal, Managing Director of Central Inland Water Transport Corporation, Mr S.K. Kapoor, Marketing Adviser, Reliance Industries Ltd (Petroleum Business), Mr M.V. Nath, Chairman of Vivada, were also present on the occasion.

With this facility, the owners of numerous trawlers and various types of river craft abounding the area will no longer be required to rush to on land petrol bunks located at a distance for obtaining fuel for their vessels. The fuel will now be readily available right in the river. They will thus be able to reduce cost, so far incurred both by way of on land transportation and multiple handling.

The Chairman of Vivada said the IWT vessels bound for Bangladesh and North-East (also through Bangladesh) were required to halt at Namkhana for Customs and other checking. The vessels should now be able to use the time also for refuelling. The diesel would be supplied at a very competitive price, he said.

Mr Kapoor of RIL stated that as the riverine Sunderban being a difficult area for movement, his company decided to provide facilities at the doorstep of consumers.

"We in Reliance believe in operating in the midst of our customers," Mr Kapoor observed, indicating that, depending on the market response, a much bigger self-propelled barge could also be launched in the area in due course to cater to the local requirement. Right now, the vessel would load diesel at Reliance's terminal at Haldia dock and a maximum of 90 tonnes could be loaded.

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