Do not appoint IAS/MCS as HOD of Technical Dept: MTIFC
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 07 2021:
Manipur Tribal Indigenous Farmers Committee (MTIFC) has appealed to the state government against appointing IAS/MCS ofcers as HODs in the technical departments.
In a release, MTIFC publicity and media secretary L S Pamei stated that due to limited agricultural activities and land, tribal farmers sustain their economy through livestock farming particularly piggery, poultry and cattle rearing.
Despite the meagre allocation in state budget for agriculture and allied departments, the ofcers working in the Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Department are rendering co-operation and service to the farmers besides controlling livestock and zoonotic diseases in the state, it added.
MTIFC pointed out that the Department has been a major institution since 1977 and the service of veterinary doctors have been categorised as organised service sector from 1994.As per record of the department, the post of director has been continuously assigned to senior-most ofcer in the feeder grade of the department.
It is very unfortunate that such a norm has been breached by the present BJP led government through appointing an IAS ofcer as HOD of the department from March 1, thereby curtailing the technical knowledge of a veterinarian for the welfare of farmers and larger interest of the employees of the department in particular, it noted.
MTIFC claimed that this act has made all the promises and projects of the government like Go to Village, Go to Hills, doubling farmers income by 2022, providing good governance, transparency in administration etc, to go in vain.
In light of this, public are questioning the hidden agenda of the government for not assigning technically qualifed veterinarians and ofcers of the V&AH, agriculture, horticulture and soil conservation as heads of their respective departments, it said.
MTIFC further gave an ultimatum of fve days to the government for issuing an appropriate order in supersession of all earlier orders and cautioned that failure to honour its proposal will compel launch of agitation against the government in all the hill district headquarters in association with like-minded organisations.