Price of commodities go up across State
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, November 21 2012: The price of petrol has gone up to Rs 90-100 per litre in black markets in Manipur due to the ongoing "public blockade" imposed by the Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) along the two National Highways leading to Manipur including all the Kuki majority areas in the state.

KSDC has been enforcing an indefinite "public blockade" since November 17 evening on the highways leading to the state and Kuki-dominated areas putting pressure to both the state and Central Governments to facilitate peace talks with Kuki militant outfits.

The strike entered the fifth day on Wednesday.

The people are now in a mess while buying fuel from oil pumps because now they are not getting it easily as before since the fuel stock has been reportedly down.

Although the state Government has issued stringent instructions to all the oil pumps to sell fuel as normal, the people are forced to buy fuel in long queues.

Quite the opposite of the Government instructions, oil pumps are selling fuel in a limit citing low stock.

At the same time, the oil pumps have started selling fuel to the purchasers for a few hours a day since the agitation began.

In Manipur, petrol is available at Rs 66.48 per litre while diesel at Rs 47.04 as per the latest price fixed by the Government.

However, petrol is now being sold at Rs 90-100 a litre in black markets in the wake of the agitation by KSDC.

Last evening, 12 KL of petrol and another 20 KL of diesel were unloaded at PCTC oil pump at Khoyathong in Imphal but the whole quantity of petrol was sold out in queue from 5:30 pm of Tuesday till early midnight even as the amount of diesel was also finished at around 11am today, said one of the staffs of the filling station.

Interestingly, Kusum Oil Pump and Porompat Service were forced to shut down by Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution minister, M Okendro on the charges of not being registered the daily sale proceeds yesterday.

Promptly, the minister had cancelled the facility of 24-hour fuel service given to Kusum Oil Pump and the same was offered to the PCTC.

Meanwhile, in a random market survey conducted by Newmai News Network, prices of commodities like potato, onion and garlic have been found slightly increased in Imphal Kwairamband bazaar following the 'public blockade' .

"The price rise in the general level of goods has been caused by the sudden halt of supply to the markets due to the blockade," Mukesh Kumar, a retailer at Thangal bazaar, said.

He said potato which earlier cost Rs 20 per kg in retail outlets are now being sold at Rs 25, Rs 30 per kg of onion as compared to Rs 20 and garlic at Rs 40 which was sold at Rs 30 per kg before the strike.

Though goods trucks are sparsely plying along the two major National Highways by providing escort police vehicles every day, inter-state bus service as well as inter-district bus service have come to a grinding halt due to the 'public blockade' .

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