Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, January 13
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]embers of the All Manipur VDF Welfare Association (AMVDFWA) have demanded implementation of their demands in the larger interest of the VDF community and the public.
“We’ve submitted a memorandum to the state authority in September last for increasing our honorarium besides paying 13 months salaries (as done in the state force),” says a key functionary of AMVDFWA. “But so far there are no positive steps from the government.”Instead of raising separate National Highway protection force the existing VDF personnel can be absorbed as the protection force by providing necessary training etc, the functionary suggested. This will curtail the extra expenditure of the government if they plan to raise Highway Protection force in the state as the association is demanding establishment of a VDF battalion, he added.
Presently there are 10,050 VDF personnel in all the nine districts of the state after the state government conducted two phase recruitment process in March 2009 and February 2011.Since then government has been providing a monthly salary of Rs 4000 per VDF besides a ration money amount of Rs 1000 each.
AMWDFWA functionary said this on the sideline of the day long general conference of the association today at Irabot Bhavan hall in Imphal.
The day’s conference was attended by All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union President Wangkhemcha Shamjai, Advisor cum Chairman, AMVDFWA N Shanta Singh, Secretary, Senior Citizen for Society Prof L Sadananda Singh (Retd) and Secretary, All Manipur Road Transport and Drivers Motor Workers’ Union H Kulamani as Presidium members.
