Imphal: Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam promised a crackdown on highway extortionists after transport groups threatened a total fuel supply shutdown. Transporters warned they would cut off petroleum shipments starting July 31 unless the state fixed the safety issues on key roads. The threat follows years of illegal taxation since the ethnic conflict erupted in May 2023.
Transporters say they have been filing complaints for three years with no result. The current situation is unsustainable. Illegal fees and rampant extortion have hiked operating costs to levels that wreck business. Passenger operators also want security escorts back on vulnerable highway stretches to keep travel safe.
The Home Minister confirmed the government will address these demands to keep supplies moving. He told the groups that the government would "examine their concerns and take appropriate action to address the issues raised, particularly those affecting highway security and the uninterrupted supply of essential commodities to the state." The state now waits to see if the government secures the roads or if the fuel pumps run dry.
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