Imphal, Sept. 3: Manipur’s lone LPG bottling plant at Sekmai in Imphal West district reopened today after remaining closed for the past 12 days following threats from the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA).

The plant had shut shop on August 23 after bulk LPG tankers suspended services from August 18, following threats from the militant outfit.

The outfit has allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh from the plant and threatened the truckers that they will be targeted if they continued their service without paying the militants. The KRA has also allegedly issued threats to officials and their families.

Most of the officials, including the manager, have fled the plant after the general secretary of the militant group, D.T. Haokip, allegedly threatened to target them and their children.

“We have started filling cylinders from today. The stock has been replenished after truckers started bringing LPG from yesterday,” an official at the plant said.

The truckers resumed service after the Okram Ibobi Singh government opened a post of the India Reserve Battalion at Khatkhati in Assam along the Nagaland border last week.Fuel and LPG tankers have complained to the state government that various militant groups are targeting the truckers during their trips to Khatkhati to pick up LPG and petroleum products. Two LPG tanker drivers were abducted by the KRA recently from this area.

Though the truckers and the plant have resumed operations, the fear of reprisal is still there. “The Kuki militant group has not withdrawn its threat and monetary demand. We cannot say when the threat will come again,” a truck driver said.

The state government is providing regular escort service between Imphal and Mao gate, Manipur’s border with Nagaland. However, the escort service, too, failed to allay the fear of the drivers. Following requests from the truckers, the Ibobi Singh government urged the security forces to rein in the KRA militants.

The KRA is one of several Kuki militant groups that have entered into a suspension of operations agreement with the security forces. The Ibobi Singh government is also preparing to join the suspension of operations agreement.

The officials at the gas plant and labourers have demanded that the state government take up the matter with the Union home and defence ministries to ensure free movement of trucks along the highway.