Disconnecting Manipur
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 30 2010:
With the exception of BSNL, all private mobile phone networks would not be available in the next couple of days as diesel supply to diesel generators of these mobile towers has been ceased since October 29, said the All Manipur Telecom Diesel Fillers' Committee.
The Diesel Fillers' Committee stopped diesel supply to mobile phone towers after police 'illegally' seized 4000 litres of diesel from two individuals from Porompat and Lamlong Keithel who supplied diesel to mobile phone towers.
Speaking to media persons at Hotel Nirmala today, secretary of the Diesel Fillers' Committee W Rojit said that other than BSNL, six private mobile phone service providers are operating in Manipur.
The private companies operating in Manipur are Aircel, Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Indicom, Idea and Reliance.
There are about 800 towers for different mobile phone companies.
Each of these towers require 25 to 30 litres of diesel a day.
Following the seizure of diesel kept for supply to mobile towers coupled with the unavailability of diesel at oil pumps, diesel supply to mobile generators has been stopped since yesterday, Rojit said.
As such, mobile network would not be available in the State in the next couple of days.
In the evolving situation, officials of mobile companies have been intimated to come to the State and take stock of the situation, Rojit added.
Manipur has been in the grip of a fuel crisis for over four months with the Govt failing to deliver and address the fuel crisis.