Meghalaya: NE Petroleum Mazdoor Unions calls off its ban on loading petroleum products

The North East Petroleum Mazdoor Union called off its ban on transporting petrol and diesel to Meghalaya, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Coming One Ymbon said. 

The minister said the Meghalaya government told the Mazdoor Union that it cannot interfere in judicial matters. 

The union had earlier threatened to ban the transport of fuel to Meghalaya as 12 of their members were still in judicial custody, after their arrest last month for alleged pilferage of petrol and diesel along the Guwahati-Shillong Highway. 

"As per my knowledge, the North East Petroleum Mazdoor Union has withdrawn their threat to stop transporting petrol and diesel to Meghalaya," Ymbon told media. He said, "Today the Mazdoor union leaders, leaders of the petroleum association in the state and the government met in which the government has made it clear that only those transporters who were involved in illegal oil pilferage were arrested." 

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According to the minister, "The Meghalaya government has made it clear that the matter is now in court and the state government cannot interfere in judicial matters." The union had earlier written to the Meghalaya government and had threatened to not load petroleum products in favour of Meghalaya till the arrested members were out of jail. 

Food and Civil Supplies secretary Pravin Bakshi had assured that no inconvenience will be caused to fuel transporters who are not involved in any criminal act but maintained that police action will continue against those fuel transporters involved in criminal pilferage of petrol and diesel. 

A senior police officer said that police action will continue against those involved in illegal pilferage of petrol and diesel in Meghalaya. According to a senior police officer, criminals would take out about 100 litres of fuel from each tanker and replace it with adulterated contents. 

Meghalaya Petrol Pump Owners and Dealers Association president Kennedy Khyriem expressed happiness over the police action and said that the scam was worth several crores considering that about 400 tankers enter the state every day onwards to Tripura, Mizoram and lower Assam.