Fuel scarcity: Public not happy with Commandos conduct
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 24 2011: Inspite of facility for petrol or diesel allocation to security forces reserved at the 1st Bn Manipur Rifles complex or near the Imphal Hotel pump, State security forces, mainly police commandos could be seen regularly filling the tanks at outlets designated for the general public, a familiar sight whenever the State is facing acute shortage of fuel as a consequence of prolonged blockade or bandh.

While the general public along with their vehicles line up from the preceding night or hours before opening of fuel outlets, police commandos disregarding long queues to procure fuel, petrol in particular, is evoking sharp criticism from various section of the society.

According to some general public, who claimed to have stayed overnight near the Krishna Premi Oil City fuel outlet in Moirangkhom to ensure their vehicles remain in operation, groups of commando personnel who came in Gypsys filled 30 or more litres while the current system of fuel rationing entitles a 4-wheeler owner Rs 800 petrol and Rs 300 worth of petrol to a 2-wheeler.apart from being exhausted due to overnight stay near the fuel outlets to get the limited allocation, the general public today posed to The Sangai Express at the Moirangkhom pump as to whether or who authorised the commandos to procure petrol/diesel while the common people stay in long queues to get the same.

While conceding that due to prevailing situation in the state security forces have to remain in alert and their tasks are challenging, they however reminded that among those staying in long queues include employees working in medical centres, educational institutions or in departments coming under the ambit of essential services.

These employees too have responsibilities to the society and thus the security forces taking advantage of the situation is not only unjustifiable but also deserved to be pulled up and punished for petrol or diesel meant for security forces are reserved in the Government depots, they explained.

The agitated general public also suspected that the State security forces are responsible for availability of petrol in the black market and referred to the incident of a devastating inferno that occurred inside the 2nd MR complex last year when the State was facing acute shortage of fuel to corroborate their suspicion.

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