Comrades in job join hands with PWD
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 02: Taking strong exception to the killing of AE K Nabachandra of Works Department by the KCP (City Meitei), Engineers and staff of PWD, IFCD, Power Department, PHED and Minor Irrigation Department ceased work and staged a protest sitting in front of the PWD office complex at Khoyathong today.

Moreover, a joint memorandum has also been submitted to the Governor.

PWD staff staging a dharna to denounce the killing of the AE

Speaking to reporters on the sideline of the protest sitting, PWD Chief Engineer Gurumayum Tonsana Sharma informed that the protest sitting will be followed by a cease work strike tomorrow.

Taking note of the response of the Government and also of the public to its memorandum which demanded pulling up the culprits within two/three days, the Engineers and staff of the Department will hold a meeting tomorrow and decide the future course of action, the CE said.

Hinting that the Engineers may return to their duties if the public support their cause, Tonsana lamented that of the total number of 33 EEs of the Department in addition to the CE, Addl CE and SEs, only five EEs have been provided security guards.

At the protest sitting, the Engineers and staff held placards which read as "Engineers are not machine", "Money cannot bring back life", "We believe in divine justice" etc.

The joint memorandum submitted to the Governor was signed by the Chief Engineers of PWD, IFCD, PHED and Power Department.

It categorically stated the Engineers of the State have no other option but to cease work with immediate effect until and unless the murderers of AE Nabachandra is booked, law and order situation is brought under control, lives of the engineers and their families made secure and the engineers allowed to work freely.

The memorandum also highlighted that engineers of the State have been working under tremendous pressure marked by repeated incidents of abduction, assault and firing/bomb attacks at their residences.

With an engineer of the PWD already shot dead by armed persons without assigning any reason, one underground has been openly threatening to eliminate all engineers including their family members.

Under these circumstances, engineers feel very much insecure and highly terrorised, pointed out Chief Engineers in their memorandum.

They further appealed to the Governor to intervene and make it possible for the engineers to work effectively for the progress and growth of the State and the country.