Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Aizawl: Petrol pump dealers in Mizoram are planning an indefinite shutdown starting September 17. The All Mizoram Petroleum Dealers Association (AMPDA) announced the strike following a September 9 meeting. They claim members of the student organization Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) detained fuel station managers and pressured them into bank transfers.
Dealers report that managers were forced to send Rs 2 lakh to the MZP on September 7. Other outlets were hit with demands for Rs 1.20 lakh each. The AMPDA demands a full refund by September 16. They also want an end to all financial pressure. The association stated, "such incidents should not be repeated."
The MZP denies all claims of coercion. They insist the money taken from the LT Brothers Filling Station at Keifang was a voluntary donation. The funds were meant for an Assembly gathering in Darlawn set for September 23 to 25. The group noted the station is currently managed by a man named Nitesh and was sold to a non-tribal citizen from Haryana.
Tensions remain high. The MZP claims many state petrol pumps are run by non-Mizos despite using Mizo names and licenses. They are now calling on the government to terminate the licenses of these businesses. No independent party has verified the claims from either side.
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