ATSUM airs woes to Governor
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 29, 2014: The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) led by Muan Tombing today submitted a memorandum enclosing a 7-point charter of demands to Manipur Governor VK Duggal for immediate implementation of issues that 'will lead to the peaceful co-existence of all ethnic communities in the state'.

These charter of demands enclosed in the memorandum include jobs guaranteed for 100 days to deliver goods to the poor masses of the hills under MGNREGA scheme being routed through the Manipur State Rural Development Agency as there are instances of mismanagement of the schemes by dislocating the funds to different government agencies, which in return fail to co-ordinate with the schemes.

The demands also include invoking the power conferred by Article 309 of the Constitution of India to prevent from artificial bankruptcy of professionals in Manipur Health Services and other flagship programmes like National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to provide effective health care to rural population.

Service Extention and re-employment of services should be stopped unless all the criteria for extension are fulfilled, the tribal student body stated.

Re-appointment and extension of services in various departments has caused social unrest among the junior officers whose privileges are being snatched away by the senior officers, the ATSUM memorandum added.

Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 should be made functional by appointing State Chief Information Commissioner.

As a matter of fact, most of the information sought for by the RTI activists are being denied on filmsy ground without citing proper justification or reason.

It is a proven fact that public information officers routinely violate mandatory provisions of the act.

The tribal students' body has also enclosed to do away with the system of contractual basis in educational institutions and regularization of contract lecturers as a step towards quality education.

Despite repeated for recruitment of lecturers in higher secondary schools in the hills nothing tangible has been done so far to regularize contract lecturers.

It is not surprising that that only 17 regular lecturers are manning 14 higher secondary schools in the hills.

There exists a huge disparity between the valley and hills lecturers of higher secondary schools, it added.

The ATSUM has also mandated to increase reservation of seats from 31% to 38% in accordance with the latest statistical data reflected in 2011 census report.

They have also placed the need to ascertain the total numbers of backlog posts in every departments and filling up vacancies by a special recruitment drive for ST before the stipulated period of time which expires on May 25, 2014.Further, ATSUM states that it is hopeful the Governor will intervene and ensure equality, fraternity and inalienable rights and privileges as enshrined in the Constitution of India.

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