Imphal: The All Manipur VDF Welfare Association on Friday launched a 10-day arms-down strike and staged a sit-in at Porompat police station, demanding "fitting honorariums as per the present skilled labour rate, including arms allowance of village defence force (VDF) personnel".

A member of the association, A. Chaoba, said, "We want to maintain service records and we are performing duty similar to the state police but we are not being properly paid." He said they have been performing duty without the honorarium for the past two months.

"If the state fails to meet the demand in these 10 days, we will intensify our agitation," a protester said.

In a memorandum, submitted to chief minister N. Biren Singh on May 10, the association demanded that VDF volunteers should be paid as per the present labour rate, including arms allowance, according to the central government guidelines.

It demanded that the government should provide a job to the member of VDF personnel's family in case of death or disability while on duty.

As VDF volunteers have been attached to police station and serving all duties assigned like regular police they should be given 13-month's honorarium. It also demanded to establish a VDF battalion.

The memorandum also demanded proper guidelines, terms and conditions to be issued to improve the services of the VDF.

VDF is a security force that had organised its first recruitment rally in March 2009 in four valley districts - Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur - to voluntarily defend villages from militants attacks.

Initially, an honorarium of Rs 3,000, along with Rs 570 as ration money, was provided to the personnel each month. Following a protest, the salary had been increased to Rs 5,000, including an allowance of Rs 1,000 in 2015. In April this year, the salary was increased to Rs 6,000, including ration money of Rs 1,000. There are VDF 10,050 volunteers in the state.