Students set afire school building in Manipur

Imphal, Feb 16 (PTI) For the second time in two days,students of a Manipur school tried to set afire their schoolbuilding in protest against the closure of schools due to theongoing teachers agitation, official sources said.

The students of Lilong Girls High School at Lilong inThoubal district tried to set ablaze their school but firebrigade personnel reached the spot in time and saved it, thesources said.

Students had yesterday made a similar attempt when theytried to set afire another school building in the heart of thecapital complex in protest against teachers'' agitation buttimely intervention of firemen saved it.

Government schools in Manipur have been closed for thepast two months because of the teachers'' strike.

The teachers are demanding payment of salaries as perrecommendations of the sixth pay commission, the sources said.

A senior official of the state government said theteachers demand could not be met immediately because otheremployees would also make similar demands which would putfinancial pressure on the state government.

He said efforts were on to arrive at a settlement.