IMPHAL, July 13: In an unexpected revelation, it has been found that a department of the government of Manipur has been functioning with employees hired on a temporary basis without a single permanent post. The “Economics and Statistics Department” which is considered one of the important departments both for the State and Center Governments is reportedly functioning only with temporary employees.
According to reports, there are altogether 17 Units (Divisions) performing various departmental works in the headquarters of the said department in the current financial year. The units are planning, Coordination, Publications, Economics Analysis, Regional/State Accounts Statistics, Census and Statistics, Agriculture Statistics, Prices, Manual Tabulation, Evaluation Studies, Library and Documentation, National Sample Survey (NSS), Electronic Data Processing, Printing, Graphics, Administration (Establishment and Accounts) and Training.
The report stated that the different units are all much needed to ensure smooth functioning of the department.
However, the government has not inducted even a single permanent post till now into the “Printing Unit” which is one of the vital units of the department.
Surprisingly, the unit has been functioning only with nine posts. For the unit to function, nine employees were inducted on temporary basis. The nine posts are one post each of Assistant Superintendent (Printing), Proof Reader, Junior Machinement, Binder Grade II, Laboratory Technician, two posts each for Compositor and Distributor.
It may be mentioned here that the initial nomenclature of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics was “State Statistical Bureau” (SSB). It was set up in Manipur in the month of July, 1958 with a skeleton staff of 18 members under the initiation of Thangkhopao Kipgen, the then Planning Secretary to the Government of Manipur.
The report further said that from a small beginning during the 2nd Five Year Plan, the State Statistical Bureau (SSB) had been expanded gradually. The SSB, Manipur started participation in the survey programmes of National Sample Survey (NSS) from the 5th sub-round of the 17th round (1962-63) of NSS. With the increase in work load and responsibility both in terms of scope and courage and with the participation in the NSS programme, the expansion of the SSB started from 1963-64. There were 10 sub-divisions in Manipur of which 3 sub-divisions such as Mao, Tamenglong and Ukhrul were not covered by the All India Programmeof NSS due to disturbed conditions in those days. From 1970-71 onwards, the whole of Manipur was covered by the NSS programmes.
It went on to say that the then Lt. Governor of Manipur wrote a letter to the then Director, Central Statistical Organisation (As per recommendations of the National Statistical Commission. The CSO is newly renamed as Central Statistics Office), Department of Statistics, Cabinet Secretariate, New Delhi on June 5, 1970 to depute one of the Sr. Technical Officer to Imphal to study the workings of the SSB, Manipur with a view to put forward suggestions for improvement to make the working of the bureau more efficient and purposeful.
Furthermore, it said a team of Technical Officers visited Imphal from August 24-29, 1970 under the leadership of K.L. Saxena, Joint Director of CSO. The team then submitted its report on September 5, 1970 and recommended among other things, the desirability of creating the post of Director, Economics and Statistics.
Accordingly, one post of Director of Economics and Statistics was created during 1971-72 and the then SSB became a Directorate. The total strength of the Directorate as on March 31, 1972 was 162 which rose to 408 in 1987-88. But in 2001, the government took a decision to abolish 99 posts as and when the specified post are rendered vacant due to promotion/retirement/expiry under th down/rights sizing policy of the government.
Altogether 67 posts were abolished and the total staff strength as on 01-03-2-2013 stood at 341 of which 108 posts were lying vacant and therefore effective strength of manpower in respect of the Directorate was 233 only, it added.