Territorial Army Ensures Fuel Supply In Crisis-Hit Manipur After Recent Clashes

The Territorial Army has stepped in to ensure the supply of fuel and other essential commodities in Manipur, days after violence in the state.

Guwahati: The Territorial Army had to step in to ensure the supply of fuel and other essential commodities days after violent clashes in Manipur. The employees and contract workers of the oil marketing companies could not reach the installations due to security constraints or had to be evacuated owing to the ethnic violence. The installations were either shut down or partially operational due to a shortage of manpower. This led to the operational necessity of deploying the 414 Army Service Corps Battalion Marketing Territorial Army (414 ASC Battalion Marketing TA) to manage the three vital Oil installations -- Imphal Aviation Fueling Station, Malom Bulk Oil Depot and the Sekmai Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bottling plant.

In the wake of the growing crisis of fuel in the entire state, especially in the Imphal Valley, the battalion was tasked to take control of the oil installations, which were not operational and augment manpower where there was a shortage, and ensure the supply of essential Petroleum, Oil or Lubricants (POL) products, and refueling of the aircraft.

The 414 ASC Battalion Marketing TA reached the state capital Imphal within 48 hours of being given orders, and with relentless hard work over the next 12 hours, the Malom Depot was made fully operational, with the oil-filled tankers being dispatched, Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) tankers decanted, and several flights, both civil and defense, were refueled.

The depot is now functioning with the same efficiency level as before the crisis in the state, with more than 400 tankers being dispatched, to various petrol pumps across the hill state, to the Manipur Police, Army, and the Assam Rifles units.

Seeing the stupendous performance, the initial tasking was expanded, and the 414 ASC Battalion Marketing TA was further tasked to assist in the operations of the Sekmai LPG bottling plant, which is 26 kilometers from the Imphal town, a task, which was done with “élan,” with approximately 8,000-10,000 cylinders being dispatched daily.

The 414 ASC Battalion Marketing TA is one of the battalions raised in 1983 by the Indian government to handle emergencies, both internal and external.

The battalion is affiliated with the Marketing Division and has 100 Plus employees of Indian Oil.

These employees are trained by the Indian Army and Indian Oil to handle any oil installation, be it  POL, LPG or Aviation, independently.

They are also kept abreast with nuances of operating various oil locations across the country periodically. 

Meanwhile, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles apprehended an anti-national element on Monday. Based on specific input, the security forces apprehended an individual, identified as Chungkhomang Kipgen, from New Keithelmanbi village, in Imphal West district.

The security forces recovered a single barrel 12 bore shotgun and seven cartridges from his possession.

Kipgen was allegedly involved in a firing incident in the Moidangpok village recently, which resulted in three villagers sustaining injuries. The accused was later handed over to the Manipur Police.

Based on inputs about four armed miscreants threatening the local shopkeepers at the New Chekon area in Imphal East district, three columns of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles were given the task of apprehending the quartet.

The security forces immediately swung into action and soon cordoned off the area and apprehended three accused along with two single barrel 12 bore guns. The trio was later handed over to the Imphal East police.