RTI petitioner picks Board's flaw
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 23 2011:
Right to information (RTI) petitioner namely Sanasam Loken, who is among 23 candidates fighting for justice in the controversial DPC for recruitment of primary teachers 2006, has demanded punitive action against all involved in the alleged scam.
Speaking to newspersons at Manipur Press Club today Loken contended that responding to an RTI petition Secretary of Board of Education Manipur declined to hand over answer scripts of 23 candidates on the ground that all the answer scripts had already been disposed off.
Pointing out that disposing the answer scripts even before completion of the entire recruitment procedure was in violation of prescribed norms, he suggested that such malpractices could be avoided in the future if only the guilty officials are punished in a befitting manner.
Loken also alleged that the controversial declaration of the DPC result contravened the pre-recruitment notification wherein no mention was made that there would be enrolment under the OBC category.
the recruitment advertisement published on September 12, 2006 clearly mentioned that the primary teachers' post would be selected from among candidates in the general, Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and physically challenged categories.
However, when a daily paper published, what State authorities termed as tentative list of successful candidates, a total of 242 OBC candidates were included in the said list, he reminded adding that appointment letters were consequently issued to all the successful candidate, including those selected in the OBC category.
Reacting to the June 26, 2010 publication of the DPC result by the newspaper even the Chief Minister went on record at the floor of the Assembly that it was merely a temporary arrangement and had no official sanction, Loken recalled.
In spite of the CM's assertion an official notification was issued earlier on March 7, where most of the candidates mentioned in the said daily were declared as successful candidates for the post of primary teachers on contract basis, the RTI activist rued.
Apart from the BSEM authorities declining to hand over the answer scripts as sought by 23 candidates through RTI petitions, insistence to peruse marks secured by the candidate concerned were obliged after mark tempering, he alleged.
Pointing out that the official selection list issued by the Government on September 4, 2011 entertained 42 candidates under the reserved category for physically challenged, he also questioned as to how candidates with sight or hearing impairment had been declared as successful candidates for the primary teachers' post.
Loken also expressed serious apprehension on the future of students of Manipur if they have to rely on tutors with visual or hearing impairment, in their academic pursuit.