Manipur Village Defence Forces Lay Down Guns demanding remuneration

Imphal, June 21, 2019

Following Manipur government’s failure to extend their services, personnel of the Village Defence Force (VDF) which are assisting the state and central forces in various activities for maintaining law and order have laid down their arms and started submitting their service weapons to the concerned authorities.

Manipur government headed by the Chief Minister N Biren Singh is unable to take positive measures for smooth passage of the Village Defence Force (VDF) at least at present. To this effect, it can be mentioned that the state cabinet with the chief minister in the chair had passed a resolution for the VDF service extension on May 24 last.

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“Service of the VDF is a contractual basis, where state government used to give the extension after every year in a financial year since we were recruited in two phases in 2009 and 2011. The service validity for the VDF personnel expired on March 31 last. But for this time, the government is not paying any attention till date despite about three months had exceeded,” Md. Royaj Khan, General Secretary of the All Manipur VDF Welfare Association said.

Around 10,448 VDF personnel are assisting police in policing activities, utilizing to assist police and central forces in various operations for the maintenance of law and order situation of this volatile border state.

“We are given monthly remuneration of Rs 7730 which includes ration money. But for the past three months while were in service period we are not enjoying our remuneration.” Md Khan said.

Deeply concerned with the inaction of the State Government on the things it had agreed to with the VDF personnel, Md Khan reiterated his appeals to the authority concerned to make service extension order at the earliest.

The service weapon depositions started since Thursday despite the fact that dateline set by the Association to relinquish from their services expired on June 5.

“Every year, the state government accepts extension order in one round of file process but this time the extension materials had been submitted thrice but with no development. Not giving extension order literally means, “We are no more engaged in works. As such, it is better to give up our job,” Royaj asserted.

In the backdrop of the prevailing financial situation in the state, the CPI State Secretary L Sotinkumar said that whatever little honorarium given to VDF personnel may not be received regularly now.