For keeping ‘Home’ clean
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 19, 2014 -

We agree that despite being the Constitutional head of the State and a representative of the Government at the Centre who keeps alive the principle of federalism by acting as the vital link between the administration at the State and the Centre, the gubernatorial post of the Governor in any State is by and large ceremonial in nature, and debate has been going on over whether this nearly ornamental post should be done away with altogether as there is lot of wasteful expenditure behind maintaining it.

But we feel that the kind of cold-shoulder treatment that the Government of Manipur, more particularly, its Home Department has given to the Governor of the State in connection with an instruction given for taking up necessary action against the fake certificate holders in the DPC conducted for recruitment of women Sub-Inspector of Police under the quota for meritorious sportspersons is something that should not be overlooked, nay, tolerated by the people.

Even though the Governor may have been prompted to give the instruction following a memorandum submitted to him by one of the candidates who was not selected in the recruitment, the instruction was very much grounded on the recommendations made by the State Vigilance Commission to the Principal Secretary in-charge of Home for taking up appropriate action against the five women candidates who were recruited as Sub-Inspectors by using fake certificates, thus depriving the rights and opportunities of genuine and meritorious sportspersons.

Apart from the fact that the State Vigilance Commission has been set up by the State Government itself to check the wrongdoings of its officials, and the recommendations for taking up action against the five women candidates in question were given after a through investigation and verification of the sports certificates submitted by the candidates themselves, the failure on the part of the Home Department to act on these recommendations, if not on the instruction given by the Governor, goes to show the kind of dealings that normally take place in such recruitments in the Police Department with involvement of top officials and even Ministers.

If not for that, there is no reason why the Home Department should be still shying away from doing what it is expected to do. By keeping quiet on the recommendations made by the State Vigilance Commission way back in December, 2014 as well as the instruction given by the Governor on July 11 this year, the Home Department has only proved that ‘Manipur is a place where one don’t get job, but have to buy it’.

By ignoring the recommendations of the State Vigilance Commission and the related instruction given by the Governor, the Home Department has not only affronted the Constitutional power vested on the head of the State but also done a grave injustice to the deserving sportspersons in the State.

Mr Home Minister, who always talks about keeping his Department free from corruption and indiscipline, should come up with an explanation, if he really wants to keep his ‘Home’ clean.