Our Bureau
NONGPOH/SHILLONG, Dec 14: The North East Petroleum Mazdoor Union (NEPMU) on Thursday called off its strike, ending the standoff that choked the transportation of fuel to Meghalaya.
The breakthrough was achieved during a meeting at Nongpoh which East Khasi Hills Additional Deputy Commissioner Peter Passah chaired.
It was attended by various stakeholders, including representatives of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, Petroleum Dealers’ Association of Meghalaya (PDAM) and government officials.
MB Tongper, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi, was also present.
Later, Passah told reporters that the meeting was fruitful.
He said after thorough discussions, NEPMU leaders decided to lift the strike within two hours from the time the meeting concluded.
During the meeting, when NEPMU demanded the release of 14 of its members, including a juvenile, arrested for alleged involvement in pilferage of fuel, Passah said the matter was in the court.
The East Khasi Hills Additional Deputy Commissioner said the government has no influence over legal matters and urged the Union to allow law take its own course. Shedding light on the magnitude of pilferage, PDAM president Kennedy Khyriem said if only 25% of the approximately 400 tanker trucks traversing National Highway 6 were involved in fuel theft, it would result in a daily loss of around 10,000 liters of fuel, valued at Rs 9 lakh and an annual loss exceeding Rs 27 crore for petrol pump dealers.
Khyriem appealed to people to report criminal activities and not allow such practices to thrive. He stressed on collective action, stating that the pilferage of fuel adversely affects not only the petrol pump dealers but also the community.
Later, Minister in-charge of Food Civil Supplies & Consumers, Comingone Ymbon announced the withdrawal of the strike by NEPMU. He asked people not to panic stating that petrol and diesel will continue to come and that the state also has sufficient stock.
Talking about the meeting, Ymbon said NEPMU wanted the state government to intervene in the arrest of the 14 people. He said the state government has made it clear that it cannot interfere in judicial matters.
