PCPIA picketing affects oil, tea industry

Guwahati, May 10 (UNI) Functioning in the oil installations and tea establishments were affected on the first day of the 100-hour picketing sponsored by the People's Committee for Peace Initiative in Asom(PCPIA).

The PCPIA, a conglomerate of 27 pro-talks organisations, has called the blockade demanding release of five top jailed ULFA leaders to facilitate direct talks between the Centre and the outlawed outfit.

Functioning in various oil wells in the upper Asom districts of Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia were affected in view of the blockade. However, it has not yet affected supply of crude to the four refineries of Asom.

An Oil India Limited official said while there was a minor impact on production on the first day of the blockade, if the picketing continued as announced, it is likely to hit the industry hard.

Work at the Group Gather Station(GGS) at Bokota in Sivasagar came to a standstill as hundreds of PCPIA activists staged a demonstration in support of the direct negotiations between the government and the ULFA.

PCPIA convener Lachit Bordoloi, who led the protesters at Sivasagar, said around 150 picketers had been arrested by police in Sivasagar district alone to thwart the blockade.

Reports of police detaining PCPIA supporters were also pouring in from various places of upper Asom.

While the tea factories functioned as normal, their transportation was affected.

Last month, 12 activists of the organisation staged a fast in support of their demands.

As part of their intensified agitation, the organisation also called for a National Highway blockade on April 28.

Besides release of the five jailed ULFA leaders, the PCPIA is insisting on positive initiatives from the Centre to hold direct talks and a halt to 'atrocities' on common people in the name of anti-insurgency operations.

UNI