IMPHAL, February 1: 15 oil tankers which left Imphal along the Imphal-Jiribam highway on January 28, 2013 after an agreement was reached between the representatives of the Government led by Chief Minister Ibobi and the Kuki State Demand Committee have been stranded outside Manipur due to unavailability of escorts.
According to information available with IFP, 15 petrol and diesel tankers were among the empty trucks escorted by Manipur Rifles which left Imphal to collect petrol and diesel from Ram Nagar located at Silchar.
When the tankers arrived at Ram Nagar, they were loaded with oil but they have been stranded there for the past four days due to the unavailability of security escorts.
The source further said that though some of the oil tankers which arrived at Imphal safely have been unloaded at Indian Oil Corporation Depot, there are 60 tankers full of different petroleum products at the Inter-State Bus Terminus, Khuman Lampak.
41 other oil tankers have arrived safely in Imphal. Out of the total number of oil tankers, 12 are petrol tankers, 9 are SK oil tankers and 20 are diesel oil tankers.
Besides the oil stock at the IOC Depot, there is also standing oil stock- loaded trucks yet to be unloaded at the depots- in abundabce at the Inter State Bus Terminus.
However oil pumps could not open in the valley districs – Bishnupur District, Thoubal District, Imphal east district and Imphal West district for reasons known to themselves.