Lup questions Govt's motive of reappointing retired officer, forum warns stir
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 02 2019: Imphal East Loumi Lup has condemned the State Government for extending the service of a retired Chief Engineer of the Water Resource Department.

Speaking to media persons at Chingmeirong today, A member of Imphal East Loumi Lup Heikham Jadumani said that the service period of the Chief Engineer, G Robindro Sharma ended on December 31, 2017.However, an order, following a cabinet meeting of the BJP led Government, appointed the retired Chief Engineer as OSD for six months.

He decried that the Government, as a show of power, extended the service period of the Chief Engineer by an order issued on July 2 last year.

Lup questions Govt's motive of reappointing retired officer, forum warns stir

The High Court of Manipur had also issued an order notifying that Robindro's service cannot be extended under any condition.

But despite the prohibition of extension of service by the High Court, the N Biren led Government has brushed aside the Court's order and decided to extend Robindro's service up to six months, which was published in the local dailies, Jadumani alleged.

Such action is highly condemnable and it shows that the N Biren Government is above the Court, he remarked.

When Robindro was in service for more than 40 years as the Chief Engineer of the IFCD (now called Water Resource Department), he commissioned the Dolaithabi barrage, Maphou dam and Khuga dam, said Jadumani and questioned how these projects have proved beneficial to the people.

He further questioned how these projects have helped the farmers when the fields dried up and the farmers lose a huge amount of production while adding that these dams are lying useless to the people as well.

Jadumani maintained that extending the service of a person who has been working for more than 40 years yet failed to deliver any benefit in terms of developmental works, can be seen as selling expired medicines by changing the manufacture tag.

He opined that appointing fresh and eligible Engineers will prove to be more progressive for the department instead of reappointing a retired officer.

Jadumani asked what the Government is planning to gain by reappointing an individual who failed to do anything positive/beneficial in his 40 years of service and alleged that it is because of the said Chief Engineer that there has not been a full fledged AE, EE, SE and Additional Chief Engineers in the Department.

On the other hand, Zeliangrong Human Rights Protection Forum has warned to take up democratic forms of agitation condemning the decision of the Cabinet to reappoint the retired Chief Engineer.

President of the forum Robert Gonmei has questioned the motive behind the Government's extension of Robindro's service period and expressed suspicion that there must be a hidden agenda for adopting such a decision.

There are numerous eligible and qualified candidates in the State, he said and maintained that the forum strongly condemns the reappointment of the retired officer, who had allegedly failed to accomplish any developmental projects including dams.