IMPHAL, July 1: Village Defence Forces (VDF) have no future and concrete service protection as of now, said Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam who also holds the Home portfolio while replying to a question put by MLA Th Biswarjit Singh of Thongju constituency during the question and answer session of Manipur Legislative Assembly today.
MLA Th Biswajit Singh who raised the question on the floor of the House said that VDFs are attached to police stations without undergoing any training while appealing on the need for training before being attached to police station.
Deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam replied that 2/3 months basic training was imparted to all the VDFs but they are engaged for one year and later should further be engaged by extending their term of engagement.
Answering another question put by MLA Biswajit Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam said that there is transfer and posting policy of lower ranks, that is, follower, rifleman, havildar, constable and head constable while adding that as per the policy, a personnel should be posted for three years in the hill and four years in the valley.
However, MLA Th Biswarjit Singh appealed to the Deputy Chief Minister to look into the matter that some personnel are posted for nine years in the hills though there is transfer and posting policy for them.
On the other hand, replying to a question raised by MLA Nemcha Kipgen of Kangpokpi whether the construction of the office of the Deputy Director, Horticulture and soil conservation at Kangpokpi has been completed and if so, whether it has been inaugurated and reasons for non-inauguration of the said office, the Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam said that there is not strict guideline that an inaugural function of a newly constructed and completed office of the government should be held while adding that he would consult the concerned officials if the MLA wants to inaugurate one.
Answering further to this question, Deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam said that the office of Deputy Director (H and Sc), Kangpokpi was shifted to the new building in the month of February, 2013. There was no formal inauguration ceremony, he added.
MLA ST Nunglung Victor of Chandel (ST) constituency questioned Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing whether there are norms of posting specialist doctors at district hospitals and how many specialist doctors are posted at district hospital, Chandel during the question and answer session of the House today.
The MLA said that there is no specialist doctor at Chandel as of now though six doctors are supposed to be posted. He also added that the hospital is in a very derelict condition as the office of CMO of the hospital was blown over by the cyclone in 2011. As Chandel is a border area, when patients came for treatment and for child delivery from remote areas, many met death on the way. He appealed to provide a specialist gynaecologist and a medicine doctor though all the six specialist doctors due to be provided are not posted.
In response, Health Minister assured that 30 PG specialists will come in and out of them, a specialist doctor will certainly be posted within the current month of July though not fully.