DC prevented from joining office
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 07, 2009: Former Tourism Director H Deleep who has been newly re-posted as Deputy Commissioner of Chandel District was prevented from taking charge of his office by a large group of people today.

Agitated people blocking the road at Chandel district headquarters to prevent newly transferred DC from assuming charge

Meanwhile, the Chandel Naga People's Organisation (CNPO) has warned of intense agitation in case the transfer order of former Chandel DC Devesh Deval is not revoked by September 10. An official order issued on September 2 replaced Devesh Deval by H Deleep as Deputy Commissioner of Chandel district.

As per the Government order, H Deleep went to Chandel district headquarters to assume charge of Chandel DC today.

As he reached Forest Range office of Chandel district Hqs, a large group of people including leaders of the CNPO and other organisations came on a rally and blocked the newly posted DC's way.

Around 100 people including men and women surrounded the DC's vehicle including his security escorts and asked Deleep to turn back.

On seeing the scene, a police team led by Chandel SP A Radhashyam came to the spot and tried to control to agitated crowd.

As hours of negotiation yielded no results, Deleep requested his predecessor Devesh Deval to come to the spot and convince the crowd.

Later at about 1.10 am, Devesh Deval came to the spot with security escorts.

On seeing the arrival of Devesh Deval, the crowd rushed towards his direction and forced him to leave the area.

Rendered helpless by the situation, Deleep turned back at about 1.15 pm.

After the new DC had turned back unable to reach his office, the crowd staged a protest demonstration at Chandel Bazar demanding immediate revocation of the Government's transfer order.

Talking to media persons by the sideline of the protest demonstration, CNPO president Victor said that there are rules in the Government's statute which stipulated that a DC should be kept in charge of a district for at least three years.

However, for Chandel district, the DC has been changed quite often.

Because of this frequent change of DC, no development programme can be implemented completely in Chandel district, Victor said.

The Government order issued on September 2 to replace Devesh Deval with H Deleep as Chandel lacked rationality for it was only in February this year that Devesh Deval was posted in the district.

The Government's transfer order has also come as a great impediment to all development programmes already initiated in the district, he said.

Because of all these reasons, copies of a memorandum have been submitted to relevant authorities including the Governor and the Chief Minister on September 4 to cancel the transfer order of Devesh Deval.

But instead of considering the appeal, the Government sent H Deleep to take over as Chandel DC, he decried.

Demanding cancellation of the transfer order of Devesh Deval by September 10, the CNPO president said that various forms of agitation would be launched if the people's demand is not fulfilled by the given deadline.