Imphal: Members of the All-Manipur Petroleum Products Drivers’ Association staged a sit-in at the gate of the Malom Oil Depot near Imphal Airport on Saturday, demanding stronger security measures and government assurances following an attack on fuel tankers along National Highway 37 (NH-37).

The protest is part of the association’s ongoing “steering-down” strike, launched after a petroleum convoy was attacked in Noney district on September 10. Several drivers were injured in the incident, prompting transport workers to halt operations over concerns about their safety.

Protesting drivers displayed placards carrying messages such as “Drivers are not ATM booths” and “Save our drivers, save Manipur.”

The association has called for a formal departmental inquiry into what it described as serious security lapses surrounding the convoy attack.

Association representatives questioned why the petroleum convoy was allowed to travel through a sensitive stretch near Noney Bridge without adequate security arrangements or prior engagement with those involved in the agitation along the route.

The drivers have put forward several demands, including:

  • Written security assurances: A formal safety guarantee from the government, backed by a Gazette notification, before fuel transportation resumes.
  • Full compensation: Financial assistance for injured drivers and vehicles damaged in attacks.
  • Revised security protocols: Strengthening the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for petroleum convoys during bandhs, blockades and other disruptions.
  • Action against extortion: Strict measures against illegal taxation and attacks targeting vehicles transporting essential supplies.

During the protest, association member Shamungou and injured driver Aheibam Punsi recounted their experiences during the Noney attack, describing the injuries suffered by drivers and the growing sense of insecurity among fuel transport workers.

Shamungou also appealed to communities across Manipur not to target supply lines, stressing that petroleum drivers provide an essential service to people across communities by transporting fuel and other necessities.

The association maintained that drivers should be provided adequate protection before fuel transportation resumes along vulnerable stretches of NH-37.