Imphal, December 22 2008: Manipur State Pensioners' Union on Monday organized a silent mass rally in Imphal pressing the State Government on demands especially the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission and giving out of arrear dearness.

The pensioners have been reportedly agitating since December 4 regarding their various demands for over 33,000 pensioners of the State.

Started from the Manipur Shumang Leela Shanglen in Imphal East, the rally was participated by hundreds of pensioners from all over the State including their family members.

The pensioners while rallying demanded the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission besides the releasing of Arrear Dearness Relief for 174 months, Arrear Dearness Pension for 44 months for 50 percent dearness relief merger to basic pension.

The placards held by the various rallyists also demanded the same.

Later, a meeting at the same venue after the rally was concluded resolved three points which would eventually be started should the Government fail to meet to their demands.

The meeting resolved that the union would start up a relay hunger strike in the nine districts of the State; that the union would start a dharna in each of the 60 (sixty) Assembly constituencies and aware the respectively Ministers and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the pensioners' demands and; that the union would submit a petition of the pensioners demand to the Prime Minister, president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Sonia Gandhi and other opposition leaders of the Central Government through legal procedures.

Talking to the media, H Yaima, president of the union informed that the rally was organised after having received a positive response from the pensioners of the State after having started with the agitation on December 4 which included district wise sit-in-protests.

Further informing that there are about 33,000 pensioners in the State, the president asserted that if the Government fails to listen to the voice of the pensioners, the form of agitations taken up in the resolution would be held.

The president also thanked former Chief Secretary of the State, Jarnail Singh for his contribution in solving the problems of the pensioners of the State during his time.

Meanwhile, Ibochouba, a spokesperson of the Thoubal branch questioned why the Congress led Manipur Government could not sanction money for the pensioners when Mayawati, Chief Minister of a non-congress Government in Uttar Pradesh can sanction thousand crores for 16 lakh pensioners of the State.

Ibochouba also questioned by the 6th Pay Commission was not implemented in the State when it has been already implemented in the neighbouring states of Mizoram and Assam .

Solay, rallyist from Senapati district while expressing his concern exclaimed that the price of essential commodities have shot up in the State even before the implementation of the commission.

And this has become a big problem for the common people of the state, asserted the rallyist.

Comment