Stock dry at Sekmai plant
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 17 2008:
With all activities grinding to a halt at the Sekmai Bottling Plant since yesterday as the storage tanks have run out of stock, transportation of filled LPG cylinders to the State has stopped, giving rise of apprehension of yet another stint of shortage of cooking gas.
The stock at Sekmai Bottling Plant dried up following the decision of the owners of Bullet vehicles to stop transporting gas from outside the State.
The decision to suspend service was taken after the NSCN (IM) allegedly served an ultimatum that LPG distributors as well as the Sekmai Bottling Plant should pay godown tax.
Moreover a Bullet vehicle which was returning after lifting the gas from a refinery from Assam was hijacked by unidentified gunmen along NH-39 at Senapati district on December 10, said a source, while speaking to the media.
Twenty Bullet trains which were on their way to Assam from Imphal to lift gas were also made to turn back from a place at Senapati district on December 8 .
LPG cylinder carriers for domestic use have also suspended service following the ugly turn of events.
The hijacked Bullet truck bearing registration number MN01/6754 belongs to Sigul Transport.
A source informed that the Bullet truck was recovered by a team of AR personnel yesterday.
However this has not pacified the transporters and they have demanded adequate security to resume service.
The Sekmai Bottling Plant was inaugurated by Chief Minister O Ibobi on July 27, 2007 and has a storage capacity of 150 metric tons.
Annually the plant can bottle 10,000 metric tons.
At the moment there are 60 Bullet trucks belonging to different agencies in Manipur while the number of LPG distributor is 35 .
The NSCN (IM) has been levying a tax of Rs 300 per trip on each of the Bullet trucks.
This is in addition to the Rs 5000 annual tax imposed on each truck.
On top of this the NSCN (IM) verbally conveyed that godown tax would be imposed on the Bottling Plant and the LPG distributors, said the source.
The Bullet trucks usually procure the gas from Numaligarh or from Lalwa refinery situated at Sibsagar district.
On the other hand a five point agreement was reached with the FCS Minister during a meeting with the JAC Petroleum Products Carriers on October 30 this year, said the source further.
However none of the agreement has been put into action.
The five point agreement include, deployment of IRB men at Khakhatti, changing of escorts between Manipur and Nagaland at Khuzuma, relocation of toll tax from Senapati to Sekmai, State Police to work a guideline for providing escort to the tankers and LPG carriers and to keep the recovery truck given by the Ministry of Surface Transport for National Highways at the office of the Senapati SP instead of at the MSRTC.