Imphal, October 29: The forthcoming Ningol Chakkouba would be a black letter day for the women adhoc employees working in various Govt Depts who have decided to abstain from joining in the festivities and continue to take part in the hunger relay strike against the Government�s failure to regularise their service.

What is more awful to the lot of these aggrieved ad-hoc employees is that fact that they have not been paid their salaries for the last four years and six months, thereby causing great financial hardships in supporting their respective families.

The adhoc employees under the banner of All Manipur Adhoc Employees Assn (AMAEA) have been demonstrating against the alleged indifferent attitude of the Govt towards their demands since September 19 at Keshampat junction.

To intensify their stir, the adhoc employees have adopted relay hunger strike since Oct 27.Ashakiran Devi, who works as a Lower Division Clerk (LDC) in the Food and Civil Supply Department, said that the Government should atleast think about the problems being faced by them.

�This is too much and we can�t tolerate anymore.

It is a question of livelihood�, she said, explaining that to expressed their deepest anguished over the lack of concerned on the Government towards their light, the women members of the Association have decided to abstain from joining in the festivities of Ningol Chakkouba.

�Instead, we would take part in the relay hunger strike on this day notwithstanding whether out turn falls or not�, she stated firmly.

As the Govt has failed to clear the long pending salaries, Ashakiran disclosed she had to borrow money from money lenders to maintain her family.

With the interest rate of the borrowed money having accumulated over the years, there is no way out to clear both the capital and the interest except to sell land and pawn other belongings, she lamented.

Assistant Director of FCS N Jayanta informed that he has taken up giving tuition to students in the morning before going to his office in order to maintain his family.

Though working on adhoc basis �I have been discharging my officials duties whole-heartedly�, he added.

To show solidarity to the women members, we would also join the relay hunger strike on Ningol Chakkouba which falls on November 3, he said resolutely.

Publicity secretary of the Association Kh Suresh, who works as a Field Assistant in the Fisheries Department, has threatened to launch a more rigid form of agitation if the Government fails to give an official assurance to regularise the services of the adhoc employees by holding a special DPC.

Comment