Village Defence Force popularly known as the VDF has now become a gold mine for some of the police personnel supervising them. The matter came to light during a special sting operation conducted by reporters of Imphal Times. According to our findings, VDF deployed at various offices and attached to police outposts and other government department are not totally utilised as many are sent on leave by their commanding officers which are mostly serving in the police department in between the rank of constable to Havildar. During a face to face interview with some of VDF who are on leave, our reporters also found out that those VDF personnel sent on leave were deducted a sum of Rs. 2000 and another Rupees 300 for LIC (at which they never received any documents).
During a special sting operation conducted at Thoubal district, it has been learnt that a total of 2480 VDF personnel are being deployed at 74 separate locations in Thoubal district. Of these, 79 VDF personnel are deployed at Athokpam Makha Post, 50 at Babu Bazaar Post, 50 at Chingkham Post, 50 at CDO Thoubal (post runner), 50 at Thoubal Congress office, 50 at Wabagai Congress Post, 298 at 6 post in Heirok, 81 at Khongjom IB and 81 at Waithou post.
Our reporter found only 10 VDF personnel at Congress office in Thoubal. This means 40 personnel are on leave. The same is with some of the post located in the district. When our reporters interview some of the VDF colleagues on duty, it has been inform that they are not in the post but could not say whether they are on leave or not. After collecting some of the names and address of the VDF personnel posted there, our reporter than visited them. When interview them, those VDF said that they had been given leave since the day they had been posted there on the ground that they received rupees 2700 every month. One VDF person is entitled an honorarium of Rs. 5000/- including the ration money. On further enquiry the VDF personnel who did not want to disclose his identity said that they have now taken up certain jobs like driving auto, carpentry jobs or running shops. They don’t bother as long as they get the sum of rupees 2700 every month without performing any duty.
When our reporters further investigated the matter, it has been found that the sum of rupees deducted from them – that is, the rupees 2000 directly went to the hand of the commander supervising them. These supervisors are deployed from among the Manipur Police personnel who are on the rank between constables to Havildar. The other 300 rupees deducted from them are meant for LIC but none said that they received any receipts or documents for that.
