Dimapur, Nov. 27 (EMN): The deputy chief minister of Nagaland Yanthungo Patton has denied having threatened the chief secretary of the state R Binchilo Thong over the issue of transferring additional director general of police Rupin Sharma to Nagaland House in New Delhi. Patton’s establishment issued a press release refuting the allegations of the Naga People’s Front (NPF).
‘The dy. CM, through its media cell would like to clarify that there is no confrontation, much less threatening act or omission by honourable dy. CM to the chief secretary as alleged by the NPF press bureau and other media reports,’ the press release stated.
Patton stated that Rupin Sharma’s service was under “compulsory wait,” and had applied for posting to Nagaland House to enable him to pursue his deputation and for health check up. Simultaneously another application was filed for station leave to proceed on tour to ‘pursue his deputation,’ the press release stated.
“The file was processed and on examination by the Home department, it was found that there is no rule or provision for proceeding on tour to pursue deputation matter as deputation case has to be processed as per rules. Accordingly, the Home commissioner suggested for medical leave and endorsed the file to deputy chief minister, who is also the minister in charge of Home and National Highways, to which it was agreed and the file was sent to Home commissioner.”
After that, the press release stated, the chief secretary directed the Home commissioner to ‘resubmit the file’ to him immediately. Accordingly, the file was submitted to the chief secretary on the same day itself, Patton stated.
“The chief secretary on the 19.11.18, has unilaterally written in the note-sheet saying ‘Shri. Rupin Sharma may be posted as OSD, Nagaland House, New Delhi and continue to draw salary from PHQ…” The chief secretary also took photocopy of his own file noting and e-mail to both resident commissioner, Nagaland House, New Delhi and to Shri. Rupin Sharma before obtaining government approval,” the clarification stated.
The file was then sent to the chief minister’s office ‘directly for approval by-passing dy. CM although both the CM and dy. CM were out of station,’ the press release stated.
“On learning this, the dy. CM had admonished him (sic) for flouting rules and office procedure and advised him not to take unilateral decision till the matter is further discussed. Dy. CM also asked the chief secretary what was the urgency for unilateral decision in
recommending posting of an officer who is on compulsory wait.”
The press release explained further: He also questioned chief secretary “in circulating his own file note sheet in WhatsApp group and e-mailing the same to both RC Nagaland House, New Delhi and Shri. Rupin Sharma.”
The chief secretary was then said to have ‘called back the file from CMO’ and ‘changed the file note sheet and redirected through the dy. CM.
As such, ‘there is no personal about (sic) dy. CM and the chief secretary as portrayed in the media by the NPF but it all about rules and office procedure and there is no question of threatening or abusing the chief secretary since the dy. CM has high esteem for the office of the state bureaucratic head’ (sic).
The press release added that the NPF’s press bureau should not “try to politicize the issue without knowing the truth as the public are wise enough to understand cheap political propaganda.”
