Manipur bus owners to stop services from Tuesday

IMPHAL: Protesting against the government's fresh fuel rationing system that allots a passenger bus to buy 40 litres of diesel from the outlet for every three days, the All Manipur Bus Owners' Association has decided to cease all passenger service operations indefinitely in the state from Tuesday.

Stating that a passenger bus requires 60 to 90 litres of diesel a day, the association termed the new allocation quantity for three days inadequate for meeting even a single day's requirement. The association, however, said it would resume service only when the state government adopts a new diesel rationing arrangement for all passenger service vehicles.

To stop panic-buying of fuel and continued presence of long queues in front of outlets in the state in the face of the intensified economic blockade on the Imphal-Silchar and Imphal-Dimapur routes, Manipur consumer affairs food and public distribution department introduced the new fuel distribution mechanism at the capital from Sunday.

Denouncing the Okram Ibobi Singh government's alleged bid to bifurcate Naga-inhabited areas to create new districts, the United Naga Council (UNC) has been imposing the blockade on the key supply routes since August 21.Under the new mechanism, a passenger bus would be allowed to buy 40 litres of diesel for every three days from the outlet.

For the same period, local trucks would be given 25 litres , large taxi (15 litres), mini bus (20 litres), four wheeler private vehicles ( 10 litres of diesel or petrol) , three wheelers ( 8 litres of diesel or petrol) and two wheelers ( five litres of petrol).To ensure the new mechanism is adopted systematically vehicle owners should bring their respective RC book so that authorities would stamp a seal on them while filling fuel in the outlets, an official source said.