Appointment of next Chief Secretary: ATSUM urges Govt to follow convention
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 18 2013:
Observing that the present Chief Secretary is due to retire next month, the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur has urged the Chief Minister to follow existing conventions and uphold the rule of law while appointing the next Chief Secretary.
In an open letter to the Chief Minister, the student body said that among the available IAS officers in the State today, the two senior most officers are tribals from Manipur and added 'It is our earnest hope and prayer that the senior most officer will be given the opportunity to serve the State as the Chief Secretary" .
Urging the Chief Minister to ensure that no one is overlooked while filling up the post of the Chief Secretary, ATSUM said that 'unwillingness to accept the senior most IAS officer who happens to be a tribal, will not only cause deep hurt and disenchantment in the bureaucracy but also contribute to the already existing social divide in the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural social fabric of Manipur' .
Making its stand clear, the student body, while maintaining that it is not pessimistic, however said that 'if seniority is not given its due in the appointment of the next Chief Secretary, it could be assumed as a communal manifestation of the present Government' .
The 'sincere efforts' of the Congress Government to bring development to all parts and population of the State may be construed as a cheap propaganda if conventions are not followed, said ATSUM and added 'our long cherished goal of living in harmony is likely to be harmed due to the hurt psyche of the people and for want of political will to maintain fairness when such political decisions are made' .