NAMAKKAL: Thousands of LPG tanker owners across South India launched an indefinite strike from Thursday, protesting the alleged misuse of the SC/ST reservation system in the tender process.
The South Zone LPG Tanker Owners Association, headquartered in Namakkal, represents over 6,300 tankers operating across six states, with around 5,600 vehicles contracted to major oil marketing companies (OMCs) including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).
Association president K Sundarrajan raised concerns that some individuals from the general category are bypassing the reservation system by exploiting "Agreement to Sale" (ATS) arrangements, which are part of the 2025-2030 tender system.
Through ATS, vehicles are temporarily registered under SC/ST category names, allowing general category operators to secure tenders meant for SC/ST owners.
Sundarrajan said, "People in the general category, by name transfer through ATS, create irregularities by misusing the reservation under the SC/ST category. In their names, people from the general category register their vehicles, get their tender, and therefore, genuine people with one or two lorries run out of business without getting proper contracts."
He further emphasised that this practice is harming legitimate small-scale operators who are being denied fair opportunities. Sundarrajan called for immediate intervention by OMCs and the government, stating, "The oil corporations should immediately intervene and take immediate action. Until then, the indefinite strike will prevail."
In bulk LPG transportation tenders conducted by OMCs across India, reservation quotas are set at 15% for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category and 7.5% for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category on an all-India basis. Misuse of these quotas, Sundarrajan said, is undermining the purpose of the reservation system and creating hardships for genuine SC/ST category tanker owners.
Reports indicate that nearly 4,000 tankers have been kept idle, disrupting LPG distribution in several areas. The meeting in Namakkal was also attended by All India Motor Transport Congress Chairman GR Shanmugappa. The association has urged authorities and OMCs to resolve the issue promptly to prevent further inconvenience to consumers and maintain the regular supply chain.