The Manipur Home Guard Employees Welfare Association (MHEWA) has urged the Governor of Manipur to ensure timely payment of wages to Home Guard personnel, either within the first week or by the 10th of every month.
In a memorandum submitted to Governor A.K. Bhalla, Association President Y. Mangi stated that Home Guard personnel, despite receiving meagre wages, have been diligently performing their duties for years. He pointed out that even as the month of August is coming to an end, the wages for July have not yet been disbursed, causing serious financial distress to the personnel and their families.
The memorandum also noted that unlike Manipur Police, which receives salaries on time, Home Guard personnel often face delays, with July’s wages still pending. The Association expressed concern that such irregularities violate the constitutional right of equal pay for equal work.
It further highlighted the disparity in benefits: while government employees recently received a 39% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA), Home Guard personnel were given only 14%, without any provision for ration supply or allowances to meet rising market prices. This, the Association said, has placed them in extreme hardship, particularly at a time when prices of essential commodities are soaring.
The memorandum reminded that Home Guard personnel form an integral part of the security setup, and urged that their grievances be addressed in the spirit of the Prime Minister’s slogan “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.”
The Association has requested that, henceforth, wages be released regularly within the first week or by the 10th of every month, and that the pending wages for July be cleared without further delay. It also appealed for consideration of other long-standing demands affecting the welfare of Home Guard personnel.