Assam-based transporters today decided to stop transportation of all petroleum products to Meghalaya from August 18 unless the state government provided tight security to drivers, specially in the Garo Hills region.
"The union has decided to boycott loading and unloading of petroleum products to Meghalaya from August 18," Assam Petroleum Mazdoor Union general secretary Ramen Das said in a statement here.
He said it was a matter of great concern that oil tanker drivers and helpers as well as pump workers have become the target of miscreants.
The transporters' decision came in the wake of the killing of Bittu Patel in Tura where he was shot at point blank range inside a petrol pump yesterday. There were at least four such incidents in the past one year.
Alleging that the state government did not make any serious effort to stop the crimes, Das said the victims of such atrocities were also not compensated.
He also said the miscreants have started extorting money from tanker drivers on the Shillong Bypass.
Meghalaya depends fully on oil products from Guwahati, Numaligargh and Dhaligaon.
