On September 24, Antu Ngemu did the “unthinkable” — deliver cooking gas to India’s easternmost administrative circle before a proper road could connect it
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However, the feat ending almost six decades of wait for Vijaynagar in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district came at a cost. She had to bear more than 62% of the price of each liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder as transportation charge to make 15 families in Vijaynagar, the circle headquarters, smile.
Vijaynagar, perched at 1,240 metres above mean sea level on a strategic “finger” jutting into Myanmar, is 157 km from Miao, the nearest commercial centre where Ms. Ngemu’s 10-year-old gas agency is based. The movement of vehicles is restricted on this partly-metalled road meandering mostly through the 1,985 sq. km Namdapha Tiger Reserve.
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Changlang’s Deputy Commissioner, Sunny K. Singh had three months ago discussed with cooking gas distributors the possibility of putting Vijaynagar on India’s LPG map. To make that happen, Ms. Ngemu waited for a bridge across a mountain river between Gandhigram and Vijaynagar to deliver.
She also had to wait for a Vijaynagar-bound vehicle to load the 30 LPG cylinders. The vehicle operator charged ₹20,000 – the standard rate – for the service, entailing an additional cost of ₹666.67 per cylinder for transportation.
Ms. Ngemu recovered 23% of the transportation cost from the 15 consumers in Vijaynagar and Gandhigram, about 12 km nearer to Miao. She hopes the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and the Changlang district administration would find a way to reduce the transportation cost for her and the consumers, which is more than half of the current price of an LPG cylinder weighing 14 kg nett (₹1,070).
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“The cost of an LPG connection in Miao comprising two cylinders, a stove, a regulator, a connecting pipe and a lighter is ₹11,000. The cost in Vijaynagar and Gandhigram is ₹11,500 with the transportation charge of ₹250 per cylinder factored in,” she told The Hindu.
High porterage
Ngiyohey Yobin and Dumusa Yobin, two of the first LPG customers in Vijaynagar, did not mind paying more for a cylinder than their counterparts elsewhere in Arunachal Pradesh or the country beyond.
Reasons: Collecting firewood from the jungles for cooking takes a lot of effort and time, and the locals are used to paying 1,000-1,500% more than the MRP on essential commodities.
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“People have to trek 20-25 km to collect firewood and store it because it rains frequently in our area. The labour saved is more valuable than the additional ₹250 paid per LPG cylinder, which is much cheaper compared to a kilo of iodised salt that can cost up to ₹300,” Ms. Ngiyohey said.
The premium on essentials is due to the porterage. Porters charge at least ₹100 per day to carry bags of essentials on their heads from Miao for 7-10 days.
“The road to Vijaynagar, nearing completion, should make life easier for the people of Vijaynagar. We are discussing with IOC the possibility of setting up a Gramin Vitarak Kendra in Vijaynagar and trying to reduce the transportation cost,” Mr. Singh said.
The road is also expected to help transport the equipment for setting up a 50 KW hydropower plant to cater to Vijaynagar. An off-grid power supply system in the area is erratic.
“Vijaynagar and Gandhigram now have a total of 25 consumers with 10 more added in the past few days. If we have more clients and if the road allows larger vehicles for bulk supply of cylinders, the transportation cost should come down considerably,” Ms. Ngemu said.