Indefinite closure of LPG outlets in Kohima enters fourth day

Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 16 (EMN): The indefinite closure of all Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) outlets and services in Kohima, called by the All Kohima Indane Distributors Association (Akida), entered the fourth day on Thursday.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror, the president of Akida, K Seyie, said that the five LPG distributors in Kohima -- Seyie Gas Agency, Belho Gas Agency, Marcofed, Yhome Gas Agency, and Rose Agency -- were under indefinite closure to protest the assault of LPG workers by miscreants.

The association, with approximately 70,000 customers in Kohima, had called for strike on July 13.

Narrating the sequence of incidents, the president said that on the night of July 4, two miscreants attacked one LPG truck driver and snatched his mobile phone when the driver could not pay them the money they had demanded.

One of the miscreants was informed to have been arrested by the police.

Again on the night of July 9, three miscreants attacked an LPG truck driver, when the vehicle was parked below Belho Gas Service godown in Kohima, and demanded ‘to produce UG tax receipt’.

When the driver could not produce the ‘receipt’, he was then asked to pay INR 3,000. As he could not pay the amount, the miscreants ‘beat him black and blue’ and took away his cell phone and some cash. They left the scene on foot, and went towards Para Medical Colony, he said.

According to Seyie, the association had filed a first information report at South Police Station in Kohima on July 10, after which the case was reportedly transferred to North Police Station.

“Actually, we don’t want to prolong like this but we are not able to take any concrete action so far; and the drivers are so terrified,” Seyie said.