Guns held in the air. (-)

Calm returned to Pocholla after two days of random shooting in the air by some security organs protesting nonpayment of their salary arrears and lack of food supply in their barracks by the authority.

GPAA Information Minister Jacob Werchum said the protest by a handful of police and national security personnel began on the night of January 17 and created fear in the area.

He said the random shooting left the local communities in panic before the local government intervened and brought the situation under control.

“Few of them were police and the national security personnel. These were the groups that were demonstrating, shooting randomly on air in protest demanding that the salary payment on time and also food supply in the area,” he said.

“This is what resulted in the demonstration. They started Friday night, and they were being contained on Sunday. The area now has come back to normal following the intervention of the local authorities on the ground.”

This is the second time that security forces engage in gunfire barrage to protest non-payment of salaries in the remote territory.

In 2020, a group of soldiers stationed at Pochalla in the GPAA fired shots in the air to protest their unpaid salaries, according to the former commissioner.

Tony Thopia said soldiers, using light and heavy weapons, shot in the air during the morning parade, causing panic in the town.