Reacting to reports that the Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the recruitment of 10,000 Village Defence Force (VDF) personnel in Manipur, the All Manipur V.D.F. Employees’ Welfare Association has welcomed the move but urged the government to first address the long-pending issues of the existing 10,500 VDF personnel in the State.
Speaking to media persons at the Manipur Press Club today, the Association’s president Sagolsem Sanjit Singh said the organisation appreciates the reported decision of the government, although an official notification is yet to be issued. However, he maintained that no fresh recruitment should be initiated until the grievances of the currently serving VDF personnel are resolved.
Sanjit Singh stated that the Association has been demanding implementation of provisions under Section 17 read with Section 18 of the Assam Police Manual, which deals with the status and service conditions of VDF personnel.
He pointed out that out of the 10,500 VDF personnel presently serving in Manipur, the cases of around 7,200 personnel are yet to receive approval. The Association demanded that the State Government immediately forward the cases of these 7,200 VDF personnel to the Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary approval.
The Association cautioned that any move to recruit new VDF personnel without first resolving the pending issues and grievances of the existing force could lead to dissatisfaction among VDF members across the State and may create an avoidable situation.
Sanjit Singh further stated that VDF personnel who have rendered more than 17 years of continuous service should be regularised by the State Government on sympathetic and humanitarian grounds. He also called for framing a concrete and structured pay scale for the VDF personnel.
The Association announced that it will soon submit a memorandum to the State Government urging that the matter be taken up and discussed during the ongoing session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly during the Budget Session, 2026.