IMPHAL, Feb 24: In between the demands of the certain tribal bodies including the ATSUM and the CDSU against the government order of handing over of the powers of the executive director, DRDA to senior MCS officers of the state, the deputy commissioner Churachandpur today handed over the charge of the executive director, DRDA Churachandpur at the office of the chief secretary at around 1:30 pm, informed a reliable source.
It may be recalled that to ensure grass root development of rural areas and remote hills, an order was released by the Governor of Manipur on November 18, 2010 in pursuant to the decision taken by a cabinet meeting held on November 11, 2010, to transfer the DRDAs of the five hill districts to their respective ADC. Consequent upon this, the chairmanship of the five DRDAs will be vested in the chairman of the ADCs and a senior MCS officer shall be posted as the Executive Directors of DRDAs both in the hills and valley districts, the charge of which was earlier in charge of the DCs concerned.
However the handing over of the power to senior MCS officer was objected by ATSUM and other like minded organizations. The ATSUM had also imposed a 24-hour bandh in the entire hill districts of Manipur from midnight of February 17 to midnight of February 18 in protest against the government`™s indifference to their charter of demands which also includes the revocation of the state cabinet decision of posting senior MCS officers as executive director of DRDA without due consultation with Hill Areas Committee of the State assembly. It had termed the cabinet decision as devoid of any `rationality and justification` and has demanded for reverting back to the earlier way wherein the concerned deputy commissioner of the district was the executive director as prescribed under the Central guidelines.
At the same time, Churachandpur District Students`™ Union (CDSU) has been endorsing the demands of the ATSUM especially the transfer of power of the executive director of DRDA from DC to senior MCS officer.
