Imphal, August 28 2010: People lining up in queues in front of oil filling stations everyday for a few litres of petrol is seen nowhere in other parts of India or in other countries except in Manipur, says deputy general secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), H Mahadevan.

Speaking at a state level convention held at Kuki Inn here, which discussed the unprecedented price rise and erratic public distribution system and other issues ahead of the people of the country, the deputy secretary said when he landed in Imphal yesterday he could see people in a beeline in front of oil filling stations.

"On seeing the scene, I feel pity," he said and added that when the people in other parts of the country are protesting against the hiking of prices of petrol by Rs 2 and diesel by Rs 4, people in this landlocked state are buying fuel at much higher rates.

"I feel surprised when I was informed that people here are buying petrol at Rs 80 a litre.

In no other places of the country, I find a LPG refilled cylinder costing Rs 1600 .

I really feel unsatisfied and the AITUC has noted it down," said Mahadevan expressing his share of the frief of the people.

Reminding that imposing economic blockade on the national highways, collection of illegal taxes by outlawed as well as lawful organisations directly hit the common people and it leads to an unusual rise in prices of goods in the state, he appealed to all concerned including the state government and agitating bodies to solve the problems through talks.

Against the unprecedented price rise, snatching the right to life of the labour class people, erratic PDS, disinvestment of profit making Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and proactive measures for employment generation and protection of jobs, the ATIUC and other trade unions like INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, UTUC, AICCTU and national, industrial federations, etc.

are calling a 24-hour general strike on September 7, he appealed to the people to lend support to the strike.

"The AITUC wanted to create a history on this day (September 7) as it will be the first ever countrywide protest for economic independence with the support of the people," he appealed.

General secretary of AITUC Manipur state branch, L Sotinkumar also expressed concern over the government extending a free hand to the businessmen in the state when the people are at the limit of their woes.

He alleged that government has failed to check oil pumps selling petrol and diesel through the backdoor taking advantage of the uncertainty on the highways.

No action has been taken up against the dealers who sell petrol and diesel on the sly to the grey marketers who in turn sell it to the people at much higher rates right near the oil filling stations, he charged.

Even though properties worth several lakhs of rupees had been reduced to ashes by a tragic fire which broke out at a quarter of 2nd MR quarter storing petrol illegally, no official action was taken up by the government.

This indicated that there is no authority in the state to check black markteers.

The state level convention was also attended by the president of the state unit of the AITUC, Dr M Nara, member of the CITU, Ksh Shanta and member of AIUTUC, Kh Gyaneshwor, president of the All Manipur Loumi Marup, Th Tomba and state secretary of the CPI, Manipur State Council, L Iboyaima.

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