MPCC scoffs at berths to ex-Cong MLAs
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 26 2020: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has questioned the logic of allotting Ministerial berths to O Lukhoi and O Henry after they had voluntarily resigned from the membership of Manipur Legislative Assembly.

Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, MPCC vice-president and former Minister Dr Kh Ratankumar asked what were the personal expertise and excellence of the two ex-MLAs.

He went on to ask if the Biren-led Government was saying there are no MLAs within BJP and their allies who are more qualified than O Lukhoi and O Henry for Ministerial berths.

Although there is no rule which prohibits allotment of Ministerial berths to any one, there is a convention of giving preference to individuals who excel in one field or another while selecting Cabinet Ministers or Union Cabinet Ministers, Dr Ratankumar said.

Out of the two ex-MLAs who have been inducted into the Council of Ministers, a Court case is pending against one, he said.

While Chief Minister N Biren has been promising a clean, corruption-free Government, O Lukhoi, soon after he was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister, declared that he would appoint people of his Assembly segment in different Government departments as much as possible, Ratankumar pointed out.

He asked whether the new Cabinet Minister's declaration which went viral on social media complements or contradicts the Chief Minister's promise of corruption-free Government.

As a convention, Ministers are selected in district-wise or region-wise manner but the recent Cabinet reshuffle did not reflect the principle of proportionate representation, he remarked.

There are four Ministers from Imphal East, three from Imphal West, one from Chandel and one from Churachandpur.

There is not a single Minister from Bishnupur, Thoubal and Ukhrul.

Even though BJP has shouting at the top of its voice about empowerment of women, its lone woman Minister has also been removed from the Council of Ministers, said Dr Ratankumar adding that the incumbent Government is anti-women and anti-minority.

Citing LJP MLA Karam Shyam's disclosure that he was removed from the Council of Ministers without sharing any information, the MPCC vice-president remarked that Karam Shyam's disclosure exposed deep-rooted trust deficit within the BJP-led coalition.

He went on to allege that the incumbent Government is the most unstable one during the last 20 years.

If one goes through what are written and commented on social media, it is a matter of utter shame for all legislators and politicians, he added.

Comment