Petrol pumps across Manipur’s valley districts were shut indefinitely from Saturday after a bomb attack on a fuel station and continuing extortion threats, intensifying concerns over the safety of petroleum dealers and staff.
The Manipur Petroleum Dealers Fraternity (MPDF) announced the closure two days after unidentified miscreants hurled a bomb at a petrol pump in Moirang, Bishnupur district, on Thursday night. The explosion caused damage to the facility, though no injuries were reported.
In a letter addressed to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the MPDF said that despite steps taken by the authorities, security concerns persist. “Though the state authorities have taken up strict actions towards the safety of petrol pump/dealers, we are still facing severe threats as evidenced from the bomb blast on Thursday night,” the fraternity said.
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Seeking compensation for losses suffered in the attack, the MPDF said it had unanimously decided to shut down all petrol pumps in the “valley area and its peripherals” until its demands are addressed. The closure, it added, would continue until an “immediate attention and amicable solution” is provided.
The dealers’ body also urged the government to strengthen security arrangements to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, stressing the vulnerability of fuel stations amid the prevailing law-and-order situation.
Further, the MPDF demanded that the government assume responsibility for any future incidents targeting petrol pumps. It asked the “government to take full accountability in case of any future incidents like bomb blast, kidnapping, and liable to compensate for the damage at petrol pump infrastructure and also maximum monetary compensation if dealers or staffs gets injured or killed in such incidents henceforth.”
The indefinite shutdown is expected to disrupt fuel supply across the valley districts, potentially affecting essential services and daily life if the standoff continues.
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