Transporters mull to cease service
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 21 2022:
Around 150 fuel and LPG bullet tankers were damaged by bandh supporters in front of CRPF and police personnel near Keithelmanbi bridge along NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) road at about 3am Friday and left around 120 tankers stranded along the road.
Civil society organisations of Kangpokpi imposed restriction on movement of commercial vehicles along NH-2 road since Thursday midnight.
Unaware of the restriction, around 150 oil tankers including LPG bullet tankers returned to the state from Assam escorted by CRPF but the convoy was stopped near Keithelmanbi bridge at about 3am on Friday by bandh supporter after blocking the road and damaged one tanker after another.
Some drivers sustained minor injuries when bandh supporters smashed windshields of the tankers using stones and logs and majority of the tankers are still stranded near T Khullen along the road.
A driver named Basant told media persons that tanker drivers were unaware of the bandh called hurriedly and hence came back from Assam and it was highly condemnable that CRPF and police personnel remained mute spectators when bandh supporters damaged tankers in front of them.
He then demanded replacement of the convoy by either IRB or Manipur Rifles so that such untoward incidents do not happen in future.
Meanwhile, a team of All Manipur LPG Transporters' Association and All Manipur Petroleum Products Transporters' Association inspected the stranded tankers at T Khullen.
The team led by All Manipur Petroleum Products Transporters' Association president Ahongsangbam Tamphayai announced that unloading of fuel at Malom oil depot as well as to other fuel outlets/pumps and unloading of LPG at Sekmai bottling plant will stop with immediate effect till adequate compensation for the damaged tankers is given and all the stranded tankers are brought to Imphal.
Tamphayai also said that the Association took the Friday morning's incident at Keithelmanbi very seriously and appealed to all concerned to stop harassing drivers who are rendering their service for the welfare of people day and night.
He also urged government to fulfil the demands of the association within 24 hours or else the association is ready to launch more intense agitations.