Manipur govt employees hold silent rally

IMPHAL, SEP 18 (NPN): Hundreds of Manipur government employees and pensioners carried out a silent mass rally in Imphal on Friday, pressing the state government to address their long pending 10 point charter of demands.
Family pensioners also joined the rally, which was organised by the Joint Administrative Committee (JAC) of the All Manipur Trade Unions’ Council (AMTUC) and All Manipur Government Employees’ Organisation (AMGEO).
The core demands included implementation of the 8th Pay Commission, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), enhancement and release of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) to match Central Government levels, and increasing the retirement age of employees from 60 to 62 years. Filling up thousands of vacant posts in government departments was also raised.
The rally, which began at 10 a.m. from HAO Ground, Singjamei, passed through Moirangkhom before proceeding to Palace Compound, where a meeting was held at BOAT.
Speaking to reporters, JAC president Rajkumar Basumani Singh said the rally was part of the employees’ ongoing protests. He noted that while a few issues had been addressed, several major demands remained unresolved despite discussions with the chief minister and chief secretary.
He pointed out that although the process for implementing the 8th Pay Commission had already begun across the country, there was no sign of the Manipur government taking steps to adopt it. He demanded the constitution of a preparatory committee to examine adoption of the latest recommendations to avoid delays.
According to the JAC, delay in implementing the Central Pay Commission’s recommendations has adversely impacted the state’s economy. Singh alleged that around 50,000 sanctioned posts remained vacant across departments, citing a 2024 government report, and claimed the vacancies were affecting public service delivery while causing a loss of Rs 287 crore per month, amounting to Rs 3,444 crore annually. He welcomed the chief minister’s recent appeal to contract employees not to bribe for regularisation of service and urged the government to fill positions through regular recruitment.
Singh further highlighted that Manipur employees currently receive 18% DA/DR, compared to nearly 60% paid to Central government employees. He demanded immediate release of pending DA and DR from January 1, in line with the 8th Pay Commission’s Terms of Reference, and opposed reports of only a nominal increase.