The Manipur government, reeling under the Naga students' backed two-week blockade of the two main highways linking it to the rest of the country is facing further trouble with the en masse resignations of the over 100 engineers of the state Public Works Department on Tuesday.
The engineers resigned in protest against the administration's failure to protect them from militants. The resignations came after unidentified gunmen shot a senior engineer on his knee on Friday.
Engineers employed in other state departments including the Irrigation and Flood Control Department and the Public Health Engineering Department are also likely to join the protest soon.
R K Mobisana, executive engineer in charge of PWD Thoubal division, was shot on his left leg by some unidentified gunmen on July 1 near the gate of his residence in Imphal (W).
The impact of the bullet, shot at close range, shattered his knee cap. Mobisana was later flown to Delhi for treatment.
Among those who handed in their resignation papers include the chief engineer of the department, two additional chief engineers, eight senior engineers, 43 executive engineers and 141 assistant engineers.
Engineers of the public health engineering, irrigation, flood-control and power departments staged sit-in demonstrations, demanding steps to ensure their safety and a congenial atmosphere for work.
One demonstration was at the power department's office complex, while engineers of other departments congregated at another office complex.
Meanwhile, a 12-member delegation from the technical departments met Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh at his office on Tuesday to discuss their problems, but the discussion ended in a stalemate.
The engineers rejected Ibobi's appeal to withdraw their resignations until the government made foolproof security arrangements for them.
The delegation pointed out that militants and unidentified assailants had gunned down six engineers, injured an equal number and kidnapped several over the past few years.
"The government did promise security arrangements -- mobile and static -- for all heads of departments and senior engineers. But we will wait for these steps to be taken," said PWD chief engineer Ng Rastrapati.
"We will call off our agitation only after we are satisfied with the measures promised by the government," Rastrapati added, who led the spate of resignations.
Manipur's premier healthcare institute, the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal, recently witnessed an exodus of senior doctors fed up with intimidation and extortion by militant groups.
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