IMPHAL, September 28: An apex body of tribal students has alleged that the State government has made some recruitment in the backdoor amidst the hue and cry over the denial of the rights of tribals.
In a press release, the information and publicity secretary Micah of the Maun Tombing led ATSUM, has stated that as a part of its endeavour for safeguarding the rights of the tribals in all aspects, ATSUM has been urging the government as well as the authorities of the State Legislative Assembly to fill the backlog of vacancies reserved for scheduled tribes in the Assembly.
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi had assured ATSUM to fill the backlog posts reserved for STs in various departments during a meeting between the government and ATSUM on November 25 last year. But the government has failed to keep its words, he said.
Stating that as per the statistics, 316 posts have been created with only 19 reserved for STs which should be 65 posts as per the model roster of 200 points by direct recruitment, Micah pointed out that the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat has went against the agreement reached for filling up all the backlog posts reserved for STs in every department.
The department has sought for applications from aspiring candidates for appointment to various posts in a contract basis with the assurance of filling the backlog posts, he added.
Apart from committing an atrocity against the tribal, the Manipur Legislative Assembly has committed a Himalayan blunder by conducting close door recruitment of grade-IV employees without issuing a recruitment notice, the information and publicity secretary of the tribals students`™ body said.
As per the information received by us, the result of the back door recruitment was back dated to November 21 last year and the salaries for three months have been given, he added.
Micah said that under such circumstances, the provisions of reservation remain unfulfilled through manipulations by bureaucrats or by a narrow interpretation of the special provisions.
It has been ascertained from the Directorate of the Management Information System, Manipur that there are 32 backlog posts of different grade which ought to be notified for a special ST drive.
The department has made another closed door recruitment by recruiting an assistant director (press Section) without issuing recruitment notification. This deliberate act of the Manipur Legislature Assembly authority reveals its culture of playing dirty games for suppressing the weaker communities of the State.
The student`™s body has asked the department to immediately cancel all the closed door recruitment and conduct fresh recruitment to fill the backlog posts of STs in the department. It further made a veil threat to the government in the press release by stating that the government would be held accountable for any untoward incident in the event of the government failing to address the grievances of the tribals at the earliest.