Commissioner justifies DPC for promotion
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 13 2024: Strongly refuting news reports published by some dailies on January 12 and 13 editions regarding alleged unlawful appointments/promotions in the Water Resources Department, commissioner (water resources) T Ranjit clarified that promotion of 21 engineers of the department to executive engineers were done through proper DPC with necessary procedures.

Terming the news reports as baseless and malicious, Ranjit told media persons at his office chamber Saturday evening that some eligible assistant engineers of the department were promoted in the year 2018 due to communication gap despite a writ petition in the high court prohibiting DPC and engineers promoted recently were those left out in 2018.Engineers of other major departments like MI and PWD were promoted during the time through DPC conducted by MPSC.

However, the matter reached court due to dissatisfaction among some engineers and the case remains pending for 6/7 years.

There was also a special leave petition in the Supreme Court regarding the case, he added.

According to T Ranjit, the matter of fresh promotion was brought to the knowledge of water resources minister with relevant documents so that existing mega projects for flood prevention and tourism with loan from ADB were not impeded.

Moreover, the said DPC was conducted with due approval of the state cabinet, he maintained.

Refuting the claim that no DPC for the fresh promotion was done, T Ranjit said DPC for the fresh promotion processed after getting approval from the department of personnel and administrative reforms as well as from finance and law departments.

He said that appointment of 21 engineers was based on SLP (C) No 25889-25894/2023 and the outcome of the pending final judgement of the interlocutory applications in the Supreme Court of India.

In view of present non-functional status of MPSC owing to lone member of the commission, DP issued an order on November 23, 2023 and it mentioned that DPC composition for Class-I and Class-II will be chief secretary, DP commissioner/secretary and commissioner/secretary of the department concerned.

All files including DP's order were submitted to the government and the state cabinet held on December 15, 2023 gave approval and accordingly conducted the DPC on December 27, 2023 with strict adherence to all the procedures, T Ranjit said, while claiming to possess relevant documents.

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