EMN
DIMAPUR, MARCH 28
Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) today demanded the Governor PB Acharya to immediately remove Mokokchung deputy commissioner Sushil Kumar Patel for failure to discharge his duties as administrative head of the district on various counts. MTLT president Imkummeren Jamir and its Public Grievances Cell convenor Aolong Imchen in a memorandum to Governor of Nagaland said, “MTLT and concerned citizens of Mokokchung have totally lost trust in Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner, Sushil Kumar Patel,” and requested for Patel’s removal. Pointing out that the mid-day meal in schools rice (MDMs) was disbursed on March 7, 2016, the MTLT said it received grievance report that the MDMS rice was found to be degraded, unhealthy and infested with worms.
“As such, on March 9th, 2016, the MTLT members visited the different schools, interacted with the school authorities and kept audio-visual records of the spoilt rice.”
In the four-point demand the MTLT maintained, “In March 2016, the Deputy Commissioner, as the chairman of the District Level Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee, failed to seriously tackle the Midday Meal (MDM) rice issue at Mokokchung which put the lives of thousands of students at stake. The MDM rice for the students was found to be spoilt, unhealthy and infested with worms. The MTLT highlighted the issue to the Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner through a petition and through the mass media on March 9, 2016. However, instead of taking urgent measures, the DC tried to daunt the concerned citizens by citing CrPc 1973. Though the DC did not directly name the MTLT, it was evident through his order, which was issued the very next day after MTLT visited the schools and highlighted the issue, that it was directed against the MTLT. The action of the DC had terribly hurt the sentiments of concerned Mokokchung citizens, and we believe that Mokokchung DC has no concern for the lives of the school students. As such, we do not need such callous administrator in our district.”
Secondly, the MTLT said, “The Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner advertised a number of LDA, dobashi and driver posts lying vacant under the Mokokchung District administration last year. The interviews for the said posts were scheduled to be held in the middle of 2015. However, it was postponed and the interview is yet to be conducted. In this regard, other concerned organizations and NGOs had also written memorandums to the Mokokchung DC to conduct the interviews at the earliest. But so far, there is no response.
The MTLT is much concerned about the delay in the interview process since there are many deserving educated youths who have applied for the different posts. This delay in conducting the interviews has destroyed the hopes of the deserving applicants and in turn, has made the concerned citizens lose their confidence in the shriveled competence of Sushil Kumar Patel.”
Thirdly, MTLT said, “In 2015, when the whole Mokokchung town was reeling under darkness for more than a month (August – September), the Mokokchung DC failed to take the issue seriously. The situation nearly turned ugly as the deprived citizens gheraoed the Mokokchung power division and marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. As providence would have it, the MLAs from Mokokchung district were attending the monthly DPDB meeting. The legislators assured that power would be restored at the earliest. If it was not for the assurance from the legislators, it would have turned into a worst case scenario.
Here too, Sushil Kumar Patel, because of his incompetence as the administrative head, failed to understand the destitution of the citizens and to take into account the commercial losses and other similar implications.”
Fourthly, the MTLT said, “ Besides, the 750-crore NEC-funded Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT), Mokokchung, constructed under Central funding, is still not functional even after a lapse of 5 years since its inauguration on August 1, 2011.
The MTLT had impressed upon the district administration to make the ISBT functional several times. However, it remains a phantom facility due to lack of its intended utilisation. It is disheartening to know that the DC is undermining the noble developmental projects of the Government of India and the NEC. Such sub-standard and apathetic mode of administration is not tenable in a progressive society.”
