Regularisation of DRDA staff stalled
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 14 2011: Regularisation of contract employees under District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has not yet been implemented although the State Cabinet had earlier taken a decision in this regard, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh today informed the State Assembly.

Raising a call attention motion in the Assembly today, Opposition MLA and leader of MPP Legislature Wing O Joy drew the attention of the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh to the State Cabinet decision on regularising contract employees under DRDA based on an alleged fake and controversial letter.

Responding to the motion, the Chief Minister explained that the State Cabinet had only given its recommendation to conduct a DPC in connection with regularisation of the contract employees working under DRDA after the employees who were deputed to DRDA have been transferred to their respective line departments.

However, following the controversy over the genuineness of the letter passed between Union Minister CP Joshi and Director Jagdish, implementation of the Cabinet decision has been stalled, awaiting resolution of the matter.

Observing that the guidelines of DRDA is something known to every members in House, the Chief Minister pointed out that all the flagship programmes of the Government of India are being implemented through the technical staff of DRDA and the required fund of the agency, which was met under the funding pattern of 75 percent from the Centre and the remaining 25 percent from the State Governments concerned has now been changed to 90 percent from the Centre and the 10 percent from the State Government in respect of North Eastern States in due consideration of financial constraints in these States.

The Chief Minister further informed the House that even though the Govt of India has prescribed the amount of the salaries to be given to the employees in the guidelines, the State Govt has appointed the employees on contract basis as a precautionary measures in the eventuality of Govt of India asking the State Government to cough up the required amount for payment of salaries and the same could be refunded afterward.

So, there would be no problem in regularising the contract employees in DRDA, the Chief Minister asserted.

Since a Union Minister and a State Cabinet Minister are involved in the controversy over the genuineness of the letter, it is expected that the Govt of India may conduct an inquiry.

From the side of the State Govt too, there is no objection to such an inquiry by an appropriate agency and let the guilty be punished, the Chief Minister added.

Raising his call attention motion, MLA O Joy asserted that the State Cabinet has taken the decision of regularising the service of the contract employees working under DRDA based on a fake letter purportedly send by Union Minister CP Joshi.

But Director Jagdish as contested the genuineness of the letter purported send by the Minister.

Is not the Cabinet decision even before resolution of the matter something akin to daylight robbery ?, O Joy questioned.

Furthermore, he demanded to know whether the guidelines of DRDA have not been consulted before taking a decision on regularisation of the contract employees by the State Cabinet and proposed that CBI should be roped in to investigate into the matter and find out the truth.

Comment