Government drivers, technicians caution agitation

Imphal: Pressing the government to upgrade non-functional scheme from two tiers to three tiers system among other demands All Manipur Government Drivers and Technician Association (AMGDTA) has cautioned to launch stringent agitation from May if the state government fails to meet the demands by April.

Other demands were equalisation of existing grade pay for Grade-III (group C) employees and regularisation of the work charged and muster roll of driver employees at the earliest. AMGDTA working president K. Ibomcha Sharma said the demands are long-standing demands which has been not listened by any.

A memorandum was submitted to the chief minister in 2017 in connection to the demands. In 2018, a silent rally was held and submitted a memorandum to the governor, the chief minister as well as the chief secretary. Till today the memorandum has not been discussed, Ibomcha said. Since 2019 until the association has been seeking appointment to see the chief minister on the matter, but kept denying.

The association carried out protest for 10 days wearing black badges in 2019 and had taken one-day casual leave to hold sit-in by submitting ultimatum letters to the chief minister and the state chief secretary. As Covid-19 pandemic hit the state the protest was called off, he said.

MLA Joykishan put up the demands in the state Assembly session of February 28, last year and on February 22, 2021 Assembly session. Speaker Y. Khemchand announced to put up an agenda in the Cabinet. But the Cabinet sitting in March did not take up the agenda of the drivers, he added. The three tiers system has been implemented in most of the neighbouring states. Manipur is among the few left out, Ibomcha said.

All the other grade-III in group C employees who were getting 1,900 grade pay has been increased to 2000. However the grade-III in group C drivers have been left out in 2019 order.

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