PHED employees continue protest of abducted engineers in Imphal

Imphal - Employees of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in Manipur continued their sit-in demonstration here demanding the safe release of five engineers who were kidnapped by the Kangleipak Communist Party-Military Council (KCP-MC), a banned militant outfit, on November 28.

M. Lokendro Singh, the chief engineer, said abductions disturb the mindset of other officials and hampers the work system.

"This type of abduction causes too much hamper and in turn it will create lots of problem in our functional order from the regular frame of functioning," he added.

Mary Devi, wife of an abducted engineer said the abductors have still not contacted the family members.

"As he was abducted from outside, so we were not able to speak to the abductors. I enquired about him from the office and I was told that he has been kidnapped. But I don't know whether he had any talk with the other officials," she said.

The engineers were abducted in the wee hours of November 28 when they were heading towards Senapati district for the inauguration of a water supply programme.

The abducted officials include two assistant engineers, two section officers and a driver.