The crediting of salaries to Manipur Government employees during the ongoing indefinite cease-work strike has sparked public criticism, with many questioning how salary processing continued while essential government services remained disrupted.
Citizens pointed out that salary disbursement involves preparation of bills, verification, departmental approval and Treasury authorisation, raising questions over which sections of the administration remained functional during the strike. They argued that if salaries could be processed, similar efforts should have been made to ensure uninterrupted public services such as issuance of certificates, land records and licences.
The controversy has deepened as several government departments continued to post updates on official programmes and activities through their social media platforms during the strike, prompting further questions about the extent of administrative functioning.
People seeking routine government services—including certificates, land records, licences and other official documents—have reportedly been forced to endure delays and repeated visits to government offices, causing widespread inconvenience. Many have questioned why the same administrative effort used to process salaries could not be extended to ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential public services.
Some government employees have claimed that salary processing had been completed before the strike began. However, many citizens remain unconvinced, noting that salary credit requires multiple stages of official approval before funds reach employees’ bank accounts.
The indefinite cease-work strike, launched on July 1 by the Manipur Government Services Federation (MGSF), the Manipur State Pensioners’ Union (MSPU) and the Manipur Secretariat Services Association (MSSA), is continuing despite the government’s decision to restore Saturday as a weekly holiday. The employee organisations are pressing for demands including enhancement of the retirement age, higher DA and DR, implementation of the 8th Pay Commission, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme and regularisation of contractual employees.
