ATRPFM serves ultimatum for revocation of order
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, July 19 2019: The All Tribal Rights Protection Forum, Manipur (ATRPFM) has served a three-day ultimatum to the State Government for the revocation the "impugned order dated 08.07.2019 issued by the Chief Secretary (DP), Government of Manipur with regard to transfer and posting of a non-tribal as Director in Tribal Affairs and Hills (TA & Hills) Department and to transfer MD Rahimuddin Khan, LDC, TA & Hills Department (Engineering Section) .

The ATRPFM expressed that it had exhausted "all peaceful means for securing justice", and accordingly, "we will impose bandhs on the three National Highways from the midnight of July 23 to July 24 midnight if the State Government fails to address our demand on or before July 22".The ATRPFM then said that the State Government should be held responsible for "any untoward outcome".

The ATRPFM alleged that the Department of Personal and Administrative Reforms, Government of Manipur, refused to pay heed to the "hue and cry" of the tribal people.

The tribal forum said that it had appealed several times to the State Government.

"Due to the negligence and response not coming forth from the Government to the demand of the ATRPFM, and as all peaceful means to secure justice in the above-referred matter have been exhausted, we have no other options but to take up our own course of action", it added.

According to the tribal forum, the TA & Hills Department, is responsible for many sub-ordinate departments like MTDC, TRI, six ADCs of Manipur, and as such the Director of TA & Hills Department should be held by a person who has thorough knowledge of customs, cultures, and identities of the tribal people residing in the State of Manipur.

"A Director of such a department is also to handle tribal people with different conflicting backgrounds and mentalities and as such a non-tribal officer may not be comfortable for all those things," it said, while adding, "We have apprehension that when a Director does not understand the conflicting interests of different tribal communities, conflicts between tribes may occur".

Secondly, the ATRPFM said that frequent transfer and posting of Director, TA & Hills Department has hampered the smooth functioning of the Department "as every new Director does not know the files or works and he will solely depend on his staff".

The tribal forum further said that when a new Director starts to know the files and work programmes, he/she is transferred "which is destructive for the department".

The forum further said that such practice can pave a way for "insincere staff" to misuse their official positions.

"The previous Director had just served the department for about a year and few months and needs to complete many incomplete works.

But he is transferred and replaced by another IAS officer.

Any officer on deputation is supposed to serve the department for a minimum of two years and can be extended upto 3 years.

But these things are not observed at all in the department," the ATRPFM alleged.

The tribal forum then said that it had submitted representations and also had issued press communiqués, and it had even sought appointments with the authorities concerned for a talk to bring an amicable solution.

"We even met the Chief Secretary of Manipur and had discussed the matter, but even the Chief Secretary who is the head of executive has failed to keep his commitment," it rued.

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