Manipur News

KANGPOKPI, April 2: The All Manipur Village Defence Force Welfare Association today urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into their various demands and initiate necessary action at the earliest to relief the more than 10,000 VDF security personnel in the State.

A memorandum drawing the attention of the Prime Minister for constructive action which has been signed jointly by L Deban Singh and Lantingen, president and general secretary respectively of All Manipur VDF Welfare Association has been sent to the Prime Minister today by the association.

The memorandum stated that VDF personnel in the state render their duties assigned which are not lesser than that of the assignment given to normal Manipur Police personnel sincerely day in and day out with a meager monthly honorarium in an insurgency prone Manipur.

It further stated that in spite of their fulltime duties in service like the normal security personnel VDF personnel has been denied all the essential facilities to be enjoyed by a normal security personnel from time to time when the situation demand while having no service security.

It also said that VDF personnel are all suffering due to non entitlement of reasonable, justified updated honorarium in the present age where the price of essential commodities are sky rocketing.

Apprising the Prime Minister the VDF Association tabled that the honorarium of the VDF personnel should be given under the ways of skill labour which is fixed by the Labour Dept., Govt. of India and thirteen month pay be enjoyed by all the VDF personnel with immediate effect.

It also demanded that adequate facilities from time to time be extended to all the VDF personnel and separate battalion for the VDF personnel headed by Superintendent of Police be established as the earliest possibility while making service book for all the VDF personnel so as to ensure service security while framing appropriate laws and rules.

The memorandum also urged the Prime Minister to graciously consider their demands for welfare and upliftment of the VDF personnel to enable them in discharging their duties diligently in upholding the law and order of the land.

Meanwhile, All Senapati VDF Welfare Association warned all the VDF personnel in the district not to leave their respective posting police station while abstaining from their service weapon and uniform from tomorrow and also aloof from their respective duties.

Anyone failing to follow the directive of the association should bear his own responsible responsibility in future warned Mlun Kipgen, general secretary, All Senapati VDF Welfare Association while urging the concern officer not to forcefully order VDF personnel for any kind of duties from tomorrow.

Interestingly, All India Trade Union Congress General Secretary Gurudas Das Gupta, who is also a former Member of Parliament, had earlier on March 31 sent a communique to the state Chief Minsiter O Ibobi Singh for his intervention to consider the VDF personnel issues sympathetically and also to cause appropriate action for release of the arrested VDF personnel.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/striking-vdf-association-urges-prime-minister-to-look-into-their-demands/

IMPHAL, April 2: Tension gripped Khongman even as about 100 staff of UNACCO School marched towards the their school office located at Khongman Zone-III to join work amidst a ban of the school by locals of Khongman at about 8.30 this morning.

It may be mentioned that since about a week, tension has been escalating after three students from the neighbourhood were dropped from the UNACCO School without explanation by the school authority.

The neighbourhood also have been showing resentment at the continued use of Lisam leirak which is currently under repair by the school vehicles.

The matter had seemingly been put to rest after the intervention of the Imphal East SDPO and the local Pradhan on March 31, on condition that the school would suspend work till April 4, but trouble suddenly broke out again this morning.

Confrontation resulted between the large contingent of UNACCO staff marching to their office and locals trying to prevent them enter the school.

Timely arrival of Thonju MLA Th Bishorjit however saved the situation getting worst. Upon his request Police arrived to prevent a clash between the two groups, but there were charges that the Police were partial.

Following the incident, a public meeting was held at the Oriental Club, Khongman Mangjil where secretary of the club, G Phamtomas Sharma said that the club members only tried not to prevent confrontation but the UNACCO staff became violent.

He further demanded the chairman of UNACCO N Irabanta Singh to apologise in front of public as he is solely responsible the trouble.

Thongju MLA Th Bishorjit who was also present said that it was very unfortunate this confrontation should have happened at all, and blamed the UNACCO for using its influence with the police to intimidate the locals.

He lamented that the State Home Minister is soft to the UNACCO chairman and not hearing the complaints of the general public. He further urged the security forces to act impartially.

The MLA further said that Irabanta is also a local of the area and the matter should be settled by peaceful dialogue across the table.

On the other hand, in amidst a sudden downpour, UNACCO held a press meet at Porompat area in which UNACCO Manager (Admin) P Geetchandra said that the staffs were just going to collect office files as UNACCO was shifting to Porompat area when the incident occurred.

He said that it was unfortunate that the staffs were lathi-charged and 14 received in injury, two of them seriously, needing to be hospitalised.

Irabant was absent at the press meet, but Geetchandra explained this was on account of a life threat received by the former.

Geetchandra further said the school was ready to readmit the three expelled students and would also foot the bills for the repairing of Lisam Leirak.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/fracas-as-khongman-locals-prevent-unacco-staff-joining-duty/

IMPHAL, April 2: The call for closing down FCI Godown at Sangaiprou and Koirengei by transporters in pursuit of their demands for upgrading FCI Imphal Regional Office to a full-fledged one and several others, has been withdrawn after Chairman cum Managing Director of FCI, New Delhi gave an assurance that their demands would be fulfilled.

Informing this during a press meet at the office of All Manipur Road Transport Drivers`™ & Motor Workers`™ Union at MG Avenue today, S Manglem, president of the union said that the Chairman cum Managing Director of FCI, New Delhi also assured that the long pending demand of the union regarding initiation of works relating to appointment of transporters in Imphal for ferrying rice from Silchar to Imphal will also be fulfilled at the earliest.

He reiterated that an ultimatum was served to Union Minister of CAF & PD Ram Vilas Paswan to meet their demands which are genuine, without any further delay.

The union had threatened to close down the FCI Godown at Sangaiprou and Koirengei from April 11 if their demands were not met before April 10, he said.

The Union Minister thereafter directed FCI Imphal Regional Office to take up necessary works for appointment of transporters which will be done in Imphal instead at FCI Regional Office, Guwahati, Manglem said.

The president of the union hailed Paswan; Chief Minister O Ibobi; CAF & PD Minister M Okendro; Chairman cum Managing Director of FCI, New Delhi and officials of FCI Regional Office, Imphal for paying heed to the long pending demands of the union.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/transporters-call-off-stir-as-centre-promises-upgrading-fci-regional-office/