All Manipur Petroleum Dealers particularly pumps in valley districts have threatened to shut down due to excessive donations from different organisations.
Petroleum dealers have urged every organisation to relax donations and demands for some months stating that if it continues so, situation would come where they would close down pumps.
While interacting with the media in a hotel in Imphal, the dealers said that due to the law-and-order situation of the state the petrol pumps have become a soft corner of donation from different organisations. These donations have turned into demand of huge amount of money that are unbearable, they added.
Since the conflict began, most of the pumps have been helping till now but the demands have become so high and the dealers are unable to pay, they added.
Ongoing situation in the state has affected all pumps that sales has reduced. Upon such, all pumps are open through loan, interest of loan has to pay timely. Pumps are facing financial crisis, and even pumps may not able to open in short period, they said.
“At some pumps, employees have been picked up because they are not able to give in to the demand. They even threatened to close pumps”, said the dealers.
Some organisations came and collected all the money available at counters and from pump men at Kakching and Thoubal districts, the dealers informed.
“It is not that we do not want to support and help them. Since the conflict started, in the name of war fight some organisations filled oil without paying money”, the dealers said.
Informing that all petroleum pumps in the state are opened via loan, the dealers also appealed the state government to exempt the interest of loan and expand payment of EMI.
