Heeding call of ATSUM, ZEO offices shut in hill dists
Source: The Sangai Express / NNN

CCpur/Cdl/Kpi/Ukl, March 10 2018: Extending support to the call of All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur that all offices of the ZEOs will be shut down to protest the failure of the State Government to listen to its stand to decentralise the digitisation process of the School Education Department, the Kuki Students' Organization, Sadar Hills today locked the office of ZEO Kangpokpi while several student organisations of Churachandpur too joined hands and locked the office of the ZEO at Churachandpur.

Heeding call of ATSUM, ZEO offices shut in hill dist

At Chandel, the Naga Students' Union Chandel (NSUC) shut down the office of ZEO Chandel yesterday, endorsing the demand and resolution of ATSUM.

A press release issued by the information and publicity secretary of NSUC, today, stated that the union endorses the resolution of ATSUM to shut down all ZEO offices in the hill districts of the State.

Urging the Department concerned not to open its office until further notice from the Union, it also appealed to all the staff and ZEO concerned to cooperate with the union's decision.

It further appealed to all the stakeholders and the public of Chandel to bear with the union until further notice.

At Kangpokpi, Thangminlen Kipgen, president of KSO Sadar Hills along with secretary Ngamkhohao Haokip locked the office of ZEO Kangpokpi located at the District Headquarters this afternoon at around 4.30 pm today.

Speaking to media persons Thangminlen Kipgen said that KSO will render all assistance and support to the stand of ATSUM and urged appealing all to respect the stand of the student body.

He also appealed the ZEO concerned not to open the locked office till ATSUM demand is met.

At Churachandpur several student bodies based in the district today locked up and pasted 'sealed' posters on the doors and gates of ZEO Churachandpur.

The student bodies comprising of ZSF GHQs, KSO CCpur, HSA Ht Hqtrs, and MZP Manipur began the lock-down at about 1 pm today with their 'sealed' poster highlighting that their action was in conformation with a directive from ATSUM to lodge their objection to storing employees' service books in the central records room of the Directorate Education (S) .

The shutdown will continue until further notice, they added.

The Tangkhul Katarrinao Saklong (TKS) too did the same act by pasting similar notification at the ZEO, Ukhrul which reads, "As per the directive of ATSUM against the State Government to centralize the digitization process of Education (S) Department employees' service books in the Central Records Room of the Directorate of Education (S), Imphal, the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), supporting the ATSUM decision, seals the ZEO office ofUkhrul from today indefinitely" .

This notification was signed by TKS general secretary Hashokmi Khongreiwo and pasted at the ZEO office gate after locking the office this afternoon.

Reports from the districts of Tamenglong and Senapati also said that the respective federating units of ATSUM sealed the ZEOs in their respective jurisdictions.

ATSUM leaders informed Newmai News Network this evening that the "locking/sealing of ZEOs" in the hill districts is the "first form of protest" .