Petrol pumps open on rationing system
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 12 2010: Hundreds of two-wheelers, cars, trucks and buses jammed traffic for hours particularly in Imphal East and Imphal West as they queued up since last night in front of oil pumps in Imphal to fill up their empty tanks.

"Many of them came and make queue since last night",an employee of PCTC, a popular oil pump here said.

A day after food and civil supply minister Y Erabot announced procuring fuel and other essential items from Silchar in Assam within a week, the department concern started rationing petrol and diesel through 14 selected oil pumps in five districts of Manipur from today.

Miles long serpentine queues of hundreds of four wheelers, three wheelers and two wheelers wait for their turn to get petrol and diesel from the oil pump on Wednesday in Imphal

The fuel shortage had hit hard the transport sector in the state forcing even passenger and school services especially in the valley areas to close down partially even as prices of most petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders had skyrocketed.

Price of petrol in black market has risen to a whopping Rs 150 per litre and diesel Rs 110 while a filled LPG cylinder is being sold at the rate of Rs 1500-Rs 2000.Kerosene price had risen from Rs 35 to Rs 65 in the last few days.

Other essential items such as rice and vegetables too had risen sharply.

The diesel shortage had also hit the medical sector as most hospitals rely heavily on diesel run generators to support the power supply in their establishments in view of the irregular power supply in the state.An employee of Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI), one of the premier private hospitals of Manipur as well as the north-eastern region said,"We need at least 45 litres of diesel per day to run the generator in our hospital".