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Stir hits postal services

By Correspondent

IMPHAL, May 31 - Members of the All India Gramin Dak Sevak Union (AIGDSU), Manipur division, NE circle, staged a one-day hunger strike as part of an ongoing nationwide stir which entered the 10th day, at the General Post Office complex here today.

As a consequence, postal services in the rural and interior areas of the State have been paralysed.

The main demand of the AIGDSU, which launched the indefinite strike on May 22, is implementation of the Kamlesh Chandra Committee report on the pay revision of gramin dak sevaks. Around 1,900 gramin dak sevaks working across all the districts of Manipur are supporting the strike. The dak sevaks were earlier called extra departmental agents.

�We will continue our strike till our demands are fulfilled,� said S Parikhuman, adviser to the AIGDSU, Manipur division, NE circle.

Echoing him, president W Ibohalbi and secretary S Yaima of the same body maintained that gramin dak sevaks play a major role in the smooth functioning of the postal department in the State despite having low pay structures.

There is neither any seniority list, nor any pension schemes for gramin dak sevaks, added Yaima. �But we have been told that it will be reflected once the new committee report is implemented.�

The strike has mainly affected pensioners and persons with disabilities. There are 630 branch offices and 56 sub-post offices in Manipur. The stir has also affected those who have been provided seasonal employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, besides other customers of postal life insurance, Sukanya Samriddi accounts, etc.

Even delivery of postal articles, including letters from the Public Service Commission that have to be delivered to various government departments, and passports has also been hit due to the strike.

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