Security measures at oil pumps in Imphal have led to confusion among attendants, following a directive from the CAF&PD Minister to deploy personnel at these locations. The deployment, which has seen one or two unarmed personnel stationed at some pumps around Imphal City, has raised questions about the effectiveness and clarity of the security strategy.
During visits to oil pumps across Imphal City, as well as in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, long queues were observed at the few stations that were open. However, many pumps remained closed, and some lacked any security presence or had no fuel available.
A petrol pump attendant at one of the stations reported the presence of two unarmed personnel but expressed uncertainty about whether this constituted the official security deployment. “When we opened the pumps, we saw the two personnel standing at the station without guns,” the attendant noted.
When approached for clarification, a police officer avoided a direct response, instead stating that mobile coverage was being provided by senior police officers, including Additional SPs, SDPOs, DSPs, and other officers and teams.
In response to concerns about an alleged fuel shortage in the state, Civil Supplies Inspector Rishikesh asserted that there is no actual shortage of petrol, as allocations are being made regularly. He acknowledged, however, that panic buying has contributed to the current situation. Rishikesh added that police have been deployed at petrol stations to prevent the purchase of fuel in cans, aiming to ensure that there is no shortage.
CAF&PD Minister L Susindro had earlier announced that police would be stationed at petrol pumps and warned fuel retailers of legal action if they refused to sell fuel despite having stock. The minister’s statements have come amid growing frustrations among Retail Outlets (ROs) in Manipur, which have challenged the government to guarantee a supply of 4,000 liters of petrol per day to each of the 127 petrol pumps operating in the valley area.
Following a meeting of the ROs at Hotel Nirmala in Imphal, N Mamta, an RO owner, reported that 127 ROs operate in the valley, with 85 under IOCL and the remaining 42 under BPCL and HPCL. She revealed that approximately 50 percent of IOCL ROs are currently out of stock due to a rationing system. The primary cause of the petrol scarcity, Mamta explained, is that only 45 out of the 127 ROs are currently distributing fuel to the public.
In response to the minister’s remarks on extortion as a factor in the closure of petrol pumps, Mamta clarified that while extortion was an issue at the onset of the ongoing crisis, the current problem stems from a shortage of supply from the depot. She also called on the government to address the issue of black market sales of petrol and to ensure consistent supply to the pumps from the depot to facilitate smooth operations across the state.
