ATSUM calls off 'picket ZEO office' stir
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, March 15 2018: All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) and the State Government held discussions on "substantial pending issues pertaining to education sector" today in Imphal and after working out an agreement, the student body has decided to call off its decision to lock all the offices of ZEOs in the hill districts.

According to ATSUM, responding to the invitation of the Education Minister to resolve the impasse pertaining to the closure of the ZEO offices of the hill districts, an ATSUM team met the Education Minister and his departmental officials at 9 am today.

"During the talk, most of the substantial pending issues pertaining to education sector were discussed threadbare and resolved conclusively", ATSUM claimed.

It can be noted here that volunteers of the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur sealed/locked all the Zonal Education Offices (ZEOs) in the hill districts of Manipur on March 10.Meanwhile, ATSUM said today that digitization, "the crux of the issue" which precipitated the crisis was put to rest with the assurance that the digitization process shall be conducted at the respective ZEO office or the Deputy Commissioner office, in the event of absence of requisite infrastructure.

It was also mutually agreed that the submission of the service record books shall be extended for three months, henceforth, ATSUM added.

The student body stated that its team expressed serious concern over the "rampant utilization" of teachers posted in the hill districts and pointed out that utilization is one prominent reason for the collapse of "education institutions in the hills".

According to ATSUM, on urging the Government to repatriate all the teachers, the Minister conceded his helplessness over the issue but assured that immediate recruitment drive will be taken up to ameliorate the lacunae by way of introducing district cadre recruitment.

ATSUM stated that the transfer and posting of the newly recruited 280 Assistant Professors will be completed within seven days assured the Minister.

In the meantime, simultaneous recruitment process shall be undertaken by the Higher Education Department for special recruitment drive for STs to fill up all the backlog posts of Assistant Professors, wherein age bar candidates shall be given one-time relaxation, ATSUM added.

According to the apex tribal student body, the long-pending issue of regularization of Ad hoc teachers and 2006 batch contract teachers has seen a significant step forward as verification process shall begin immediately.

"One officer of the Education Department was deputed for the process", it added.

ATSUM also stated that the process for the recruitment of MIL lecturers for tribal dialects of higher secondary schools has been completed and recruitment shall be undertaken at the right earnest, assured the Education Minister.

The tribal student body stated that the problems afflicting the hill colleges of Manipur will be ameliorated phase -wise as the Government is facing financial crunch in this regard.

It was agreed that ATSUM will prepare a detailed concept note of the problems and submit it to the authority concerned who in turn will apprise the HRD and NEC or other competent authority for redressal.

Two hill colleges of Manipur namely CCpur College and Pettigrew College, Ukhrul will open BEd course from the current academic session, the tribal student body said.

"This was in sync with ATSUM'S demand of opening BEd course in all hill districts of Manipur.

It was agreed to undertake the process phase wise acknowledging to the acute financial position on the part of the State Government.

Necessary funds had been allotted in the recent budget session," it added.

ATSUM'S demand for provision of funds for construction and renovation purposes has been partially fulfilled as three ZEO offices namely Tamenglong, CCpur and Tengnoupal have been allotted necessary funds for the purpose.

The Minister had assured that the funds will be released within this month, the apex tribal student body said.

Appreciating the Education Minister for the "commendable task he had demonstrated and taken for the accomplishment of ATSUM'S charter of demand pertaining to Education sector, other department including Tribal Affairs and Hills and Health Departments are also reminded to speed up the process to meet the charter of demands", it stated.

ATSUM conveyed its gratitude to all its federating bodies for the solidarity they had demonstrated during such trying times while appealing to them to suspend their agitation as the issue has been thrashed out, in right earnest.

ATSUM also expressed gratitude to all unit student bodies and public in the hill districts for their "unflinching support" in the course of the agitation.

Comment