Drivers suspend services demanding booking of looters
Miscreants have looted around 120 Imphal-bound bullet tankers (bulk LPG carriers) proceeding towards Imphal along NH-2 with security escorts on Wednesday night.
Demanding the arrest of miscreants involved in the looting and deployment of highway protection force, bullet tankers launched a “steering down” strike from Thursday. Reports said that around five miscreants looted bullet tankers escorted by CRPF personnel on the way along NH-2 at Kanglatombi area in Kangpokpi district around midnight on Thursday. Drivers alleged that the miscreants numbering around five forced them to stop by pelting stones, breaking windshields, and side glasses of many vehicles.
They then forced drivers and handymen to handover their money and mobile phones. Those without money and mobile phones were thrashed.
Some drivers and handymen sustained minor injuries which needed no medical attention, a driver who faced the ordeal said.
The looting incident took place near an orphan home also known as a motor vehicle checkpoint at Kanglatombi along the NH-2 last night, around midnight, he said. They came together from Khatkati of Assam with the bulk LPG with regular security escort provided by the CRPF, he added.
Following the incident, the drivers of all the bullet tankers suspended their work and gathered in Imphal’s Mantripukhri demanding arresting of the culprits. Talking to reporters at the site where the tankers remained stranded, a driver named Md Gaffar said that they will not resume working until appropriate action against the culprits was taken up and adequate security protection on the highway. Leaders of All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union (AMRTDMWU) who visited the drivers extended support to the steering down strike of the drivers and demanded booking of the culprits at the earliest.
“Drivers will not return to work until the culprits are brought to justice, AMRTDMWU joint secretary N Dilip Singh told reporters. He strongly condemned the looting and physical assault on drivers in spite of the deployment security escorts and reiterated demand for highway protection force, a long pending demand of the drivers plying on the national highways of Manipur.
He further condemned the state government for not addressing their demand for adequate ROP on the stretches of the highways in the state and lamented Thursday night’s incident, stating that it is not the first time truck drivers were looted and assaulted.
The joint secretary said that the latest brutality on the drivers showed that there were lapses in the provision of security escorts to the petroleum product transporters.
Not only the bullet tankers but security escorts were being provided to all petroleum product carriers of the state shipping the products throughout the NH-2, from Assam’s Khatkati to Imphal via Nagaland.
Currently, the escort is provided by the CRPF.
