Stop extortion on National Highway or make alternative arrangement : Transporters to PM
Fuel tankers to stay off road from Aug 1 if appeal not heeded
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 18 2024: Highlighting a number of problems, difficulties and threats they have been facing on NH-37 (Imphal-Jiribam highway), the Consortium of Manipur Petroleum Products Transporters' Fraternity has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide adequate security in order to stop extortion on the highway or make an alternative arrangement.

The consortium is the apex body of IOCL, BPCL, HPCL and Nayara Energy Transporters, and it submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister on July 12 .

The memorandum categorically stated that the POL and LPG transporters would be constrained to cease transportation of petroleum products and LPG from August 1, 2024 in case the Prime Minister's Office fails to take up positive actions promptly.

Stop extortion on National Highway or make alternative arrangement : Transporters to PM

Manipur being a landlocked State, transportation of essential commodities is carried out mainly by roads through Jiribam and Dimapur.

Even though there is a railway line connecting Manipur to the rest of the country, it is not functioning regularly for transportation of essential commodities, the memorandum pointed out.

After the violent crisis erupted on May 3, 2023, transporters belonging to Meitei Community have been denied access to NH-2 (lmphal-Dimapur highway) .

As the State's connectivity to the rest of the country is limited to just NH-37, the Government of Manipur has deployed escort convoys (CRPF) to guard the movement of tankers/trucks along lmphal-Jiribam highway so as to prevent any untoward incident.

After several rounds of discussions with the Government of Manipur, SOP for convoy movement was put in place with effect from April 23, 2024 to check extortion, collection of illegal tax and other unlawful activities.

However, strict implementation of the SOP is not seen on the ground/National Highways and extortion and illegal tax collection have been continuing unabated, it said.

Due to the high extortion and collection of illegal taxes by armed miscreants along the National Highways, the transporters have been bearing a huge financial burden.

The transporters are paying an amount of Rs.6200 per round trip which may be increased from time to time.

At present, around 150 tankers are plying/operating on the National Highways on a daily basis which means the armed miscreants have been collecting a sum of Rs 9,30,000 per day or Rs l ,86,00,000 per month and Rs 22,32,00,000 per year.

This huge amount is being paid by the transporters from their limited earnings/own pocket, the transporters informed the Prime Minister.

On the other hand, security escorts provided by the Government for movement of tankers on NH-37 are quite inadequate and they are unable to provide foolproof security to all the tankers moving in convoys of trucks.

The armed miscreants have been taking full advantage of this inadequate security detailed for the tankers and they are still carrying out extortion and collection of illegal tax unabated along the National Highways, it said.

If any tanker does not meet the demands of the armed miscreants, the tankers are attacked, sometimes by pelting and sometimes by firing at the tankers.

Sometime back, tankers carrying petroleum products were fired upon.

In this particular incident, Kuki militants attacked a convoy of goods carriers on Imphal-Jiribam highway with a sinister motive to disrupt supply of essential commodities including fuel to the State.

A convoy of goods carriers including fuel tankers, escorted by security personnel, was moving towards Imphal when Kuki militants attacked them with a volley of fire at around 10.30 am on April 16, 2024 in between Tollen Kuki village and Kaimai village under Tousem sub-division, Tamenglong district.

The suspected Kuki militants fired indiscriminately from close range taking advantage of the gaps between the security vehicles and the goods carriers.

Two drivers sustained grievous injuries in the attack.

Moreover, four oil tankers and one LPG bullet tanker were badly damaged, the transporters recounted.

For transporters of IOCL, BPCL, HPCL and Nayara Energy, the hidden expenses arising out of wanton extortion are being borne by themselves as oil companies cannot raise the transportation rate under the terms and conditions of the tender.

Apart from extortion and illegal tax faced by the transporters of Manipur, there are other multiple issues such as frequent economic blockades, strikes, landslides or cancellation of security convoy due to law and order issues, it said.

At the same time, prices of all essential commodities are much higher in Manipur as compared with the neighbouring States.

Manipur has the highest inflation rate of more than 10 per cent compared to the rest of the country mainly due to the extortion/illegal taxes on the National Highways, it pointed out.

Moreover, 60 per cent of the total length of NH-37 has fallen into a very bad shape.

As such, the tankers arc plying hardly two trips in a month on this route compared to 4-5 trips along the Imphal-Dimapur highway.

With the highway's condition quite deplorable, the wear and tear of the trucks including tankers is much more leading to high maintenance cost thereby, enhancing the debt/expenses of the transporter, it said.

The consortium then appealed to the Prime Minister to either stop the extortion or compensate the petroleum products transporters for the loss incurred in paying extortion and illegal tax to armed miscreants.