Tribal students set Jan 25 deadline
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 15, 2011:
All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) on January 13 met chief minister O Ibobi Singh and his cabinet colleagues to discuss its year-long demands and set January 25 as deadline for the State to respond and resolve pending issues failing which the govt will be held responsible for any untoward consequences.
The three-hour meeting dwelled on various issues including alleged evading of Rules of the Manipur Reservation of Vacancies in Post and Service (for SC and ST) Act, 2007 and its objection to 200 point roster, extension of service of contract basis teachers in the hill districts, discrimination of STs in the promotion of Leading Firemen to under Fire Services, issue of chief engineer in Public Health Engineering Department etc.
wherein the State government has allegedly been acting in contravention to service laws.
The student body also highlighted the government's inability to speed progress of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU).
According to ATSUM, land acquisition for the construction of IGNTU had already been done and funds released by the Central Government but the State Government is still unable to produce the progress report of the work done so far.
It has also been demanding revocation of the State Cabinet decision of posting senior Manipur Civil Service officer as Executive Director of DRDA without due consultation with Hill Areas Committee of the State Assembly.
It has asked for reverting back to the earlier way wherein the concerned Deputy Commissioner of the district was the executive director as prescribed under the Central guidelines.
ATSUM has also requested the State Government against enforcing the new school academic calendar in the hill districts of Manipur.
On the issue of recruitment of staffs under MSRRDA of RD & PR Department, under secretary and committee officers in the Manipur Assembly Secretariat, staffs in engineering cell of Education (S) and in the promotion of leading firemen to SO under fire services, ATSUM has alleged that these recruitments and promotions are done against the State's reservation norms and guidelines and demanded cancellation or rectification on or before January 25. In case of failing to response positively to resolve these pending issues by the Government on or before January 25, ATSUM has warned that the Government should be be solely responsible for the consequences.