Imphal, Aug. 22: Manipur's agitating homeguards, who have been demanding an increase in their salaries, are prepared for a protracted agitation though the state government has said it does not have enough funds.

After taking out rallies and organising sit-ins, the homeguards launched an indefinite hunger strike on July 23 to force the government to accept their demand. They have been on ceasework for nearly a month.

The personnel, under the banner of Manipur Home Guard Employees' Welfare Association, have been demanding implementation of the Supreme Court's ruling and increase in their remuneration. The Supreme Court in its 2015 order had directed the state government to pay homeguards the same salary as given to police constables.

There are 2,148 homeguards in Manipur, including 800 women. They are paid Rs 5,000 per month. The personnel said the amount is too meagre to support their families or send their children to school.

The homeguards are used in normal police work, deployed at government offices and quarters of ministers and MLAs and used to regulate traffic in towns and market places.

Reacting to their demands, chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, who is also holds the home portfolio, told the Assembly recently that his government did not have enough funds to raise the homeguards' wages. Biren Singh, however, offered to hike the amount by Rs 2,000 or Rs 3,000.

The offer was rejected as the homeguards said 90 per cent of the raised salary was to be borne by the Centre.

"We are engaged as an auxiliary to police and assist them in maintaining law and order besides helping in emergency services during natural calamities and so on. Our work is similar to normal police duty. With this meagre amount of Rs 5,000, we are finding it very difficult to support our families," Y. Mangi, president of the association, said.

Five homeguards in batches are continuing the hunger strike. Police picked up the personnel on the fourth day of the fast and admitted them to hospitals. Another five homeguards then continued the fast. The police today picked up five fasting homeguards whose places were taken by five other colleagues.

Biren Singh last week sent deputy chief minister Y. Joykumar Singh, who is the also finance minister, to meet the homeguards. However, the talks stalled as both sides stuck to their stands.

While Joykumar Singh repeated what Biren Singh said in the Assembly, the homeguards demanded the same pay as police constables, that is around Rs 20,000.

"We will continue the agitation until our demand is met," Mangi said.