<![CDATA[By D N Bir
IMPHAL, February 18: Gross manipulation has been detected in the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department. The department has apparently ignored the rules of government administration and some officials are perpetrating work according to their personal whims. A seniority list for veterinary officers (grade IV) is presently being challenged in court, but a DPC has been conducted disregarding the standing court order.
The department which is a public utility department has shrouded itself in controversy it the regard. IFP investigation in this case found that the Manipur Veterinary Service (MVS) grade II, grade III and grade IV veterinary officers seniority list should be published as under “Order by the Governor” and undersigned as “By order and in the name of the Governor”. This is the general government norm and is notified by a responsible officer of the department. The last order by principal secretary of the department, LS Laishram on February 25,2012 was notified with adherence to the said norm.
However, a final seniority list for grade IV veterinary officers was announced without transparency and without following the government norm on October 23, 2013. The order was signed by Saichhingpuii, under-secretary (Veterinary and Animal Husbandry). It was just released as a “NOTIFICATION” by the said department bearing number 4/4/99-Vety(Pt-1).
The final seniority list for the grade IV officers itself does not match with the last announced seniority list and the mendatory‘copy to’ should also mention the concerned minister, chief secretary, principal secretary, commissioner (DP) and secretary of Manipur. However, the copy to ,was not made to the mentioned authorities. It only made the notification to the director of the said department, director of Printing and Stationary, all officers concerned and the guard file.
The order by the undersecretary Saichingpuii was complained by concerned veterinary officers to the concerned minister, chief secretary, secretary (DP), MPSC chairman and commissioner of the veterinary department. The complaint also mentioned that the seniority list was not factual and the order was released as a simple notification, it urged to correct the mistakes.
As the complaint was not reciprocated, the matter was petitioned to the High Court of Manipur and duly admitted under Writ Petition (C) number 823 of 2013. The case for the seniority list is still pending. However, on the basis of the grade IV veterinary officials list, a DPC for promotion of veterinary officers of grade III was conducted. The DPC was held at the MPSC at February 14,2014 till today. The board members included the commissioner and director of the department.
It was learnt that if the result of the DPC is announced, then a larger controversy for the said department is also in the offing.
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