All oil pumps in Manipur were shut down from Monday morning by the All Petroleum Retail Outlet Dealers Association in response to the appeal by the oil and gas tankers’ drivers.
The sudden closure of the oil pumps caused inconvenience to the people who had to buy petrol and diesel at exorbitant prices from road side vendors.
Recently, 105 gas and petrol tankers which were coming from Assam were attacked. The drivers were also beaten up mercilessly by the tribal youths who had imposed an indefinite blockade following a hit-and-run incident in Kangpokpi district along NH 2 on January 21. The drivers said that they were transporting fuel from Assam to Manipur unaware of the blockade.
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The drivers allege that the police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel escorting the tankers stood nearby as mute spectators. The drivers and others are demanding the arrest of the attackers, compensation for the damaged tankers and treatment of the injured drivers.
An indefinite blockade was imposed from January 21 by people in the district who are demanding the arrest of the driver involved in the hit-and-run incident on January 19 during which one person, Paokhosei Chonglloi, was killed. Police said that a case was already registered and investigation was under way to nab the driver. An alert had been sounded in neighbouring States since it is very likely that the car had come to Manipur from there.