ATRPFM reiterates demand
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 15 2019: The All Tribal Rights' Protection Forum Manipur (ATRPFM) has once again demanded and appealed the State Government to revoke the impugned order issued by the Chief Secretary (DP), Manipur, on July 8 with regard to the transfer and posting of a non-tribal as Director of TA & Hills Department.

A press release issued by the president of ATRPFM stated that TA & Hills is responsible to the Tribal Research Institute (TRI) which is a research institute for research works on customs, cultures and identities of the tribal people and a non-tribal as the Director of TA & Hills Department is unsuitable in all aspects as the Director will have no knowledge of tribal cultures and customs.

It continued that the Director will be directly or indirectly handling tribal related issues which require thorough knowledge of tribal people and their practices.

Clarifying that ATRPFM don't have any personal grievances with the newly transferred officer Arambam Valentina, it reasoned that the job is not suited for the officer.

It explained that Valentina is also the Joint Secretary, TA & Hills, Manipur and explained that an Officer cannot hold two key posts in such an important Department, adding that, a Director of TA & Hills Department is also a part and parcel of Manipur State Scheduled Tribe Commission.

ATRPFM conveyed that frequent transfer and posting of Director, TA & Hills has hampered the smooth functioning of the Department and stated that it can pave a way for insincere staff to misuse their official positions.

ATRPFM said that when a new Director begins to understand the files and work programmes of the Department, he will be transferred again.

Similarly, the previous Director had just served the Department for about a year and some few months and many works were yet to be completed but he was transferred and replaced by another officer, ATRPFM stated adding that any officer on deputation is supposed to serve the Department for a minimum of two years which can be extended upto 3 years.

Claiming that these procedures are not being observed at all in the Department, ATRPFM strongly suggested Arambam Valentina be given a more suitable posting and appealed to the State Government to take necessary steps to change the Director as per the requirement.

Stating that it had given sufficient time, ATRPFM said that it will wait another 3 more days for the State Government to take action.

Thereafter ATRPFM will take its own course of action and the State Government will have to bear all responsibilities, it warned.

Lastly, ATRPFM also suggested the State Government to transfer Md Rahimuddin Khan, LDC, TA & Hills, who is also a CDA claiming that he has been given work allotment of CDA for more than 20 years and alleged that the tribal people have lost confidence in him.

If he is not transferred, CDA work allocation should be removed from him for more transparency and accountability, ATRPFM demanded adding that the posts of Cashier, SO, AE, etc are also not given to tribal officers but have been held by non-tribal officers.

Since TA & Hills is for ST people, key posts are supposed to be given to the tribal officers, it reasoned.

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