IMPHAL, January 13: The All Manipur VDF Welfare Association held its general conference today at the Irawat Bhavan Complex auditorium hall for the welfare of the Village Defence Force personnel and formed a committee to meet the government to discuss their demands.
The conference was attended by the association`™s president N Shanta Singh, All India Trade Union Congress, Manipur secretary L Sotinkumar Singh, Senior Citizen for Society secretary professor L Sadananda Singh and All Manipur Road Transport and Drivers Motor Workers Union H Kulamani as presidium members.
Speaking at the function, Sotinkumar said surviving in today`™s world with a monthly salary of below Rs 15000 is very tough and the time is ripe for all government employees to give a clarion call through democratic forms of agitation for pay hike.
Prices of all essential commodities have sky-rocketed today he said.
The government only promises and talks without any action he said adding that even the fund meant for all the Central schemes have only ended in the pockets of the ministers and officials.
Today the government is not for workers and only for businessmen and corporate houses, he continued.
It is time for all organisations to stand united and struggle to bring some changes Sotinkumar said.
AMVDFWA spokesperson Md Riyaz said the government has continued to neglect the demand submitted on September 22 in a memorandum.
The demands, he said included a separate battalion, salaries for 13 months, service security, increase in honorarium and routine provision of issued items, according to him.
In Manipur no agitation can attract the intention of the government without violence, he said.
At the end of the meeting, the association took several resolutions including setting up of a committee to meet the government regarding their demands.
The newly formed committee includes AMWJU president Wangkhemcha Shamjai, AMVDFWA advisor cum chairman N Shanta, Senior Citizen for Society secretary prof L Sadananda Singh and three VDF personnel.
It was also resolved that the association will undergo various agitations in case the committee fail to bring any amicable solution with the government and to seek support from the civil organisations, NGOs, meira paibis and local youth clubs.
The general conference was attended by personnel of all nine districts of the State.