MANITRON mired in promotion scam
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 30, 2011:
Serious irregularities have been detected in upgrading of post and promotion in MANITRON allegedly involving Managing Director of the Public Sector Undertaking (IAS) R Sudhan.
According to an informed source, the Managing Director, in August 2010, without knowledge or approval of the Government upgraded various posts in violation of the existing ban imposed by the Government of Manipur.
The source, nevertheless contended that the Managing Director carried out post upgradation and promotion procedures in defiance of strong instruction by the MANITRON Chairman to keep the process in abeyance.
In contravention of existing Recruitment Rules (RRs), the Managing Director also promoted several MANITRON employees without holding departmental promotion committee (DPC), required as per MANITRON service Rules 1998, the source disclosed while claiming that the promoted employees were hand-picked consequently costing service career of many other employees who were eligible for the posts.
The ban on the creation or upgradation of posts, which is even applicable to all the Public Sector Undertakings financially assisted by the Government in the form of share capital contribution, was issued by the Finance Department (Resources Department), Govt of Manipur vide order No.19/1/93-FR dt 19/1/1999, the source pointed out.
Pointing out that mandatory constitution of DPC at the time of consideration of promotion of employees is listed under Rule No 5(1) of the MANITRON Service Rules 1998, the source further conveyed that against the ban of the Government, the post of Manager held by one K Manihar Singh was upgraded to the post of General Manager.
Along with this upgradation, two post of Technical Assistant were upgraded to the post of Supervisor and one post of Skilled Welder elevated to the post of Technical Assistant, it maintained.
It is also informed that against the existing RR for the post of Engineer, to be held by a BE (electronics) one A sumati Devi, who then was a Supervisor and a three years diploma holder in Electronics, was promoted to the post of Engineer.
The resultant vacancy following the promotion (Engineer) along with the upgradation of posts created three vacancies in the post of Supervisor consequently filled by H Gopeshwor Singh, Y Ibomchoubi singh and H Ibohal Singh, who were all Technical Assistants.
With the promotion of Technical Assistants to Supervisors and with the upgradation of one post it created a vacancy of two posts of Technical Assistants which were filled by M Jibantara Devi and H Ibohal Singh, both Skilled Workers, the source informed.
It also revealed that in violation of RR for the post of Skilled Worker, supposed to be held by a Grade III employee, one S Nandakumar Singh along with another of his Grade IV colleague, was promoted to the post of Skilled Worker.
The post upgradation process in violation of RR also extended in the appointment of one Dhan Bahadur Thaba to the post of Driver inspite of the fact that the individual was only a Grade IV employee.
The source further added that all these employees have started drawing salaries in their new posts resulting in financial irregularity in the MANITRON set-up.