Manipur Hit by Fuel Crisis amid Citizenship Amendment Act Protests

Imphal, December 15, 2019:

Amidst protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act across Northeast India, the Government of Manipur has initiated rationing system on petroleum products.

Under the rationing system initiated by the Government, consumers with heavy vehicles are being provided with 10 litres of fuel, cars are being provided with 5 litres of fuel, while two-wheelers are being provided with 3 litres of petrol.

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Long queues were seen forming outside most of the fuel refilling stations due to consumers' panic amid the shortage of fuel.

It may be mentioned here that Manipur has had slew of fuel crises in history of fuel crisis due to many cases of social unrest. According to reports, in the past, petrol has been sold for as high as Rs. 250 in the black market.

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Meanwhile, fuel crisis has also hit Arunachal, where petrol has been sold for as high as Rs. 500 amid the furore over the Citizenship Amendment Act. Ami Nathung, a resident of capital city Itanagar told Inside Northeast, "Amid the crisis of fuel, my friend had to buy fuel for Rs. 500 from the black market. Prices are all over the place at the moment".

Over in Assam, fuel crisis hit the people smack on their faces amid the ongoing mass protests after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the state, many of which turned violent. In Guwahati city -- the epicentre of the protests -- people had to go as far as Jagiroad to buy petroleum at exorbitant process.

Motorists could only breathe a sigh of reprieve on December 14, after life slowly started taking a turn towards normalcy after consecutive nights of wild and fiery protests.

It is believed that the entire Northeast is headed towards a crisis as the protests have already led to shutdown of refineries, petrochemical plant and oil-producing facilities in the region.

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