Impal, Aug 03: In pursuit of their demand to revive the abolished die-in-harness scheme which had been allegedly ignored repeatedly by the state Government, All Manipur Die-in-Harness Appointment Demand Committee (AMDIHADC) has announced its agitation programme beginning with a state-wide bandh on August 9.The Committee representatives briefing newspersons at Manipur press club today also reminded that the body had already announced boycott of the Congress party in the ensuing Assembly elections if the ruling congress led Secular Progressive Front government does not respond positively to its proposal.

"We have repeatedly submitted memoranda to chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh to comply with our legitimate and genuine demand but it remains unnoticed though he, who acknowledged our demands as valid, had even announced of re-introduction of the scheme", AMDIHADC president L Maipak Singh said.

Reflecting that 33 MLAs of both the ruling and Opposition had apprised the CM for the scheme's revival, Maipak cited 'indifferent attitude of the government' as the chief factor constraining the Committee to resort the 24-hour bandh from August 8 midnight.

He also informed that the committee's earlier decision to call a two-day bandh on August 5 and 6 has been cancelled in view of the old course matriculation examination.

Acknowledging financial constraint of the government leading to scrapping of the scheme whose objective is to ensure livelihood to surviving family members of deceased employees in June 2002 lack of initiative from the Government side to revive the noble scheme is hard to digest as the financial situation had improved significantly, observed Maipak.

The Committee president also insisted that reimplementation of the scheme could address mounting problem of unemployment in the State.

He also questioned on what basis the government has appointed the son of assassinated police officer T Thangthuam (IPS) to the post of a graduate teacher when the same scheme had been abolished.

If such sympathetic consideration could be accorded to the family of the senior police officer then why similar opportunity is denied to family members of a large number of personnel who died in similar incidents before, Maipak questioned and accused the state government of discriminatory vision amongst its employees.

The appointment given to the deceased Thangthuam's son was made besides payment of ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakhs to the family, granting pensionary benefits and allowing usage of Government quarters at lower rate, the president alleged.

"We acknowledge that the bandh would severely affect the general public in general and the common people in particular but we are forced to call it because of the state government's apathy towards our demands", he said.

Meanwhile, highlighting precarious economic conditions endured by families of deceased employees, Golden Poly Club, Mayang Imphal Konchak and Kongpal Students' Welfare Club, Khurai Thongam Leikai called upon the State authorities to do the needful in fulfilling demands raised by the AMDIHADC.

The bodies also pledged maximum cooperation to any democratic form of movement launched by the Committee.

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