Blockade brings Sekmai gas bottling plant to a grinding halt

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IMPHAL, January 4: Due to the indefinite blockade imposed by the Awang Sekmai Nongthonband Youth Club on January 1 on the road leading to the Sekmai Gas Bottling Plant from the National Highway No-2, the bottling of gas cylinders in the bottling plant has come to a stop.

According to a representative of ASNYC, the stretch of road leading to the gate of the bottling plant from the NH-2 is merely one kilometres. Last year, the concerned authorities were approached with the demand to repair the road after its black-toppings had vanished and the road was filled with a number of large potholes.

`The members of the club along with the MLA of our assembly constituency met CAF& PD minister M Okendro and held talks. We even held talks with the Chief Minister in his official chamber. After an assurance was given by these leaders, the State PWD had finished levelling the road by filling up the potholes with earth and gravel. However, the black-topping is yet to be done till date`, the ASNYC representative said.

This road is frequently travelled by bullet tankers filled with gas, loaded trucks carrying refilled cylinders and trucks transporting empty cylinders which are also quite heavy, he stressed, adding that the road blockade was imposed on January 1 after a prior announcement as the heavy vehicles due to their frequent travel on the newly levelled road yet to be blacktopped were causing a lot of dust-storms.

Many vehicles including 50 bullet tankers that are related with the transportation of gas have been stopped from travelling in this road from January 1, the ASNYC representative informed.

He also informed that representatives from the bottling plant have sought permission from the club in a written request for allowing bullet tankers from outside the State to be parked inside the plant by using the road.

However, he said, the bullet tankers won`™t be allowed to re-load and that the activities in the plant would remain closed.

Sources said the representatives of the bottling plant have expressed concern that there could be explosions on account of the bullet tankers being kept outside for long.

Sources said the club is yet to decide on the written request from the bottling plant and hasn`™t replied to the request.

The representatives of the club imposing the blockade have stated that the road which was filled with dusts during the sunny days would now be filled with mud as there is some rainfall.

Attempts for making contact with the manager of the plant by IFP didn`™t pay off as he was out of station. However, an official of the bottling plant who informed that all the activities of the plant have stopped refused to give any further comments.

It may be mentioned here that the general secretary of ASNYC, Khwairakpam Dhananjoy announced on December 16 last to impose an indefinite blockade on the road after the government didn`™t start blacktopping the road even after the timeline it has given had already lapsed.

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