IMPHAL: Agitating village defence force (VDF) personnel on Saturday clashed with the police along the busy Tiddim Road in Imphal city, disrupting traffic and spreading panic in the area.For long, they have been demanding a better pay and claimed they had sent scores of letters to the chief minister in this regard.Trouble began when a large number of VDF men, under the aegis of the All Manipur VDF Welfare Association, took out a rally from near the Tiddim ground at the Kwakeithel area demanding N Biren Singh's government enhance their monthly remuneration. The VDF is a unit under the Manipur police department and at present they are getting Rs 7,730 remuneration per month, including ration money.The police tried to stop the rally near the ground and when they failed, they burst tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. It was then that the VDF men clashed with the police. They even beat up a policeman and snatched his radio set. Two firearms and radio sets were missing from the spot of the clash , sources said, but later they were handed over to the police. The police then allowed some leaders of the association to meet the additional director general of police (home guards) to discuss their demands.The agitating men said they are performing duties similar to the state police's. "We are not asking for the same salary but at least 75% of what the police are drawing," the leaders said.The state government had recruited the VDF force in two phases-in March 2009 and February 2011-and are serving across the state, including Imphal city, under the command of a police officer. Some of them also work in the traffic control unit.

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