Cooking Gas supply to close in Imphal

Imphal: LPG distributors operating in Imphal valley has to stop their service due to frequent National Highway blockades and mounting extortion from the distributors.

The cooking gas distributors staged a sit-in, here, on Thursday, against extortion pressure from various organizations (not mentioned) and inadequate gas supplies.

They urged the people not to blame the distributors for irrigular supply of kitchen gas since March end. The irregularity of supply have been increased since May.

The demonstrators said, “Please do not make unbearable demands to us”, “We cannot sustain our service further but to close our distributorship”, “No supply from Indane bottle plant, no Home Delivery service to customers.

Price of refilled gas rose to Rs 2, 400 to 2, 500. However, one cannot get it easily.

There has been unprecedented blockades and disturbances along the two national highways in Manipur since the outbreak of Meitei-Kuki conflict in May, last year.

Currently, 42 LPG cooking gas distributors supply cooking gas to their respective consumers in the Manipur Valley area.

A distributors, Okram Budhi Singh told reporters that since May 3 violence, the transportation of LPG gas via bullet tankers along the Imphal-Dimapur (NH-2) National Highway has been temporarily stopped due to the blockades, especially in the Kangpokpi area, Manipur.

Transporters have been bringing cooking gas along the NH-37 (Imphal-Silchar via Jiribam). After the incident on April 16, in which armed miscreants ambushed LPG gas bullet tankers and oil tankers between Tollen (Kuki village) and Santikhunou along NH-37, resulting in one person sustaining a bullet injury, tanker drivers have been hesitant to continue their service, he added.

Another incident occurred in Jiribam district on June 6, where a man was found killed by unknown miscreants. Drivers are still unwilling to continue their service, he said.

With multiple demands, including for refilled cooking gas by various groups, the distributors failed to meet consumer demand.