ATSUM serves ultimatum to Govt
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 24 2014 : Accusing the Government of Manipur of not honouring the agreement on various issues reached last year, All Tribal Students' union Manipur (ATSUM-MV) submitted a reminder to the Chief Minister o Ibobi Singh along with threatening that further deviation from the agreement will constrain the students' body to launch a series of agitation.

Speaking to newspersons at its Nagaram Block-A office, ATSUM president Muan Tombing said in the November 25, 2013 meeting with the CM, the State Government was urged to fully comply with 35 percent job reservation during recruitment in all the State Government Departments.

Inspite of the Chief Minister himself assuring to honour the ATSUM proposal for filling up backlog post in various departments, the Government recently issued notification for recruitment in the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat on contract basis, Tombing noted.

Until and unless the agreement for filling up the backlog posts is honoured with a special recruitment drive for ST, the recruitment process in the Assembly Secretariat will not be allowed, he asserted.

The Union's general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang reacting to the matter pointed out that inspite of prescribed norms entailing 35 percent reservation for ST candidates in all the State Government Departments, no official process has been initiated to comply with the guidelines.

Expressing strong objection against the Government's alleged piecemeal recruitment policy, he cautioned that further inaction on the genuine ATSUM proposal will compel resumption of the third phase agitation of 'Reckoning of the Others' (ROTO).

The possibility of the agitation derailing the State administration cannot be ruled out.

Referring to continuous rule by the same Government for the last many years Vareiyo said he is hoping that State authorities would take mature decisions and implement the same in a judicious manner in order to avert embarrassing situations.

With regard to the ATSUM missive to the Government for redressal of grievances, the Union said as agreed in the November 25 meeting for filling up all the backlog posts in every department by a special recruitment drive for ST, every department within the purview of the State Government is expected to be responsive in every respect to maintain equilibrium in reservation policy and its implementation.

Rather than honour the agreement, the january 16, 2014 notification issued by the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat inviting application from intending candidates for appointment to various categories of post contradicts Government assurance of filling up vacant posts in every department by a special recruitment drive for ST, mentioned the memorandum addressed to the CM.

In addition to submitting representations to various departments including Health, JNIMS, GAD, Home, Assembly Secretariat, etc., for timely conduct by a special recruitment drive for STs to fill all backlog posts, ATSUM also highlighted that piecemeal recruitment culture being one of the causes for negligible presence of ST employees in every department, the provisions of reservation remained unfulfilled through bureaucratic and administrative deformation or by narrow interpretations of the special provisions.

Suggesting that action oriented and timely intervention be initiated by the State Government, the union reiterated its note of caution that lack of positive action might constraint ATSUM to resort to any form of agitation.

A copy each of the memorandum has also been handed to the speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and to the Hill Areas Committee chairman.

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