Patrol dealers said authorities failed to act on a memorandum submitted to the Governor on December 10, forcing dealers to consider shutting operations across the Imphal valley to protect lives and property.
BY PC Bureau
December 21, 2025 — Petrol pump owners across the Imphal Valley have warned of a week-long shutdown of fuel outlets, citing persistent bomb threats, extortion, and illegal monetary demands that they say have pushed dealers to the brink and made normal business operations impossible.
The Manipur Petroleum Dealers Fraternity (MPDF), in a press release issued on Saturday, said the decision to continue the shutdown was taken after repeated appeals to the authorities yielded no concrete or effective response. The fraternity had submitted a detailed memorandum to the Governor of Manipur on December 10, flagging what it described as a grave and worsening security situation faced by fuel dealers across the Valley and its peripheral areas.
According to the MPDF, threats and unlawful demands have continued unabated despite the memorandum, posing serious risks to both life and property. “These threats have not only disrupted business operations but have also created an atmosphere of constant fear,” the fraternity said, adding that the sustainability of petrol pump operations has become nearly impossible under the prevailing conditions.
The dealers stressed that petrol pumps function solely as authorised agents of the government, mandated to sell petroleum products at fixed, government-approved rates. They pointed out that dealers have no authority to alter prices and are legally bound to collect Value Added Tax (VAT) on behalf of the state government—amounting to ₹19.56 per litre on petrol (25 per cent) and ₹10.11 per litre on diesel (13.5 per cent)—which directly contributes to state revenue.
“Unlike other essential commodities, the maximum retail price (MRP) of petroleum products cannot be artificially inflated to recover illegal demands,” the statement said, underscoring the financial vulnerability of dealers facing extortion.
The fraternity said dealers are trapped in a critical dilemma. Compliance with illegal demands exposes them to summons and punitive action by state authorities, including the threat of invoking the National Security Act (NSA). On the other hand, refusal to comply has allegedly resulted in bomb threats and direct intimidation, placing dealers and their families at risk.
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Expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to the general public, the MPDF appealed to the people of Manipur to understand their predicament and extend support. “Dealers are standing at a life-and-death crossroads, while authorities remain largely silent to our distress,” the statement said.
Under what it described as unavoidable and extreme circumstances, the fraternity warned that petrol pumps across the Imphal Valley would remain shut from December 22 to December 28, 2025, unless the state authorities take positive and effective steps to ensure adequate protection, intervention, and resolution of the crisis.
The threatened shutdown is expected to severely disrupt transportation, emergency services, and daily life in the Valley, heightening concerns over law and order in Manipur, which continues to grapple with prolonged instability and security challenges.
