5 months ago
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Petrol pump dealers successful Manipur said they would person to suspend operations if the authorities fails to instrumentality enactment against extortion demands by the extremity of this week.
In a statement, the Manipur Petroleum Dealers Fraternity (MPDF) said they were profoundly disappointed that the authorities has taken nary factual enactment regarding their security, adjacent arsenic a memorandum astir it was submitted to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla connected December 10.
Manipur has been nether President's Rule since February aft Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned amid criticisms of his government's handling of the ethnic clashes that broke retired successful May 2023.
Taking vantage of the ongoing crisis, assorted militant outfits person been targeting section businesses, including petrol pumps, for extortion. Hundreds of members of specified outfits person been arrested successful transportation with extortion demands truthful far.
The MPDF, successful the memorandum, had sought urgent involution of the Governor against what it described arsenic escalating threats to beingness and property.
"The memorandum submitted to the Hon'ble Governor of Manipur connected 10/12/2025 by the Manipur Petroleum Dealers Fraternity regarding persistent weaponry threats, extortion, and exorbitant amerciable demands has, unfortunately, not resulted successful immoderate affirmative oregon factual enactment from the State authorities till date," it said successful the connection issued connected Sunday (December 22, 2025).
"Regrettably, these threats and unlawful demands proceed unabated, posing superior risks to beingness and property," it added.
The MPDF said petrol pump dealers are mandated to merchantability petroleum products astatine fixed government-approved rates, and dissimilar different indispensable commodities, the retail terms of substance cannot beryllium "artificially inflated" to retrieve amerciable demands.
"At present, petrol pump dealers find themselves successful an highly captious concern wherever the sustainability and functioning of their businesses person go astir impossible. On the 1 hand, compliance with amerciable demands exposes dealers to summons and punitive enactment by State authorities, including the menace of invoking the National Security Act (NSA). On the different hand, refusal to comply has resulted successful weaponry threats and nonstop threats to life," it said.
It stated that, successful presumption of these circumstances, petrol pump dealers are near with nary alternate but to unopen down their operations if the authorities neglect to instrumentality enactment by December 28.
