Union seeks inquiry into Nagaland police recruitment process

Dimapur, Feb. 18 (EMN): Expressing displeasure at what it stated was the state government’s failure to resolve the issue of backdoor appointments in Nagaland police department during the just concluded Assembly session, the Naga Tribal Union Chümoukedima Town (NTUCT) has requested the chief minister to form an independent panel of inquiry to probe the same.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the union maintained that the state government’s failure to adopt any resolution ‘to rectify the wrongs’, clearly manifests lack of seriousness and concern over the issue on the part of the government of the day.

“The intentional delay and premeditated sidestepping of the loud voice of the people all over the state shall, instead of dying down as presumed by the authority, instead flare up to a horrible dimension, the consequence of which shall be wholly borne by the government,” it stated.

On the reported statement of Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, that 272 personnel were absorbed through open recruitment, the union stated: “…we only have the evidence of 206, the remaining 66—which are of higher ranks, remain a mystery.”

Out of total vacancies of 1698, it stated, Patton had admitted to appointing 1200 candidates “leaving 400 posts still vacant”. It, however, pointed out that “in reality”, the number of vacant posts was 498. “Here too, 98 remain a mystery. What is he trying to do again with these vacancies?”

According to the union, while going through details of the selected candidates, “one can clearly see that no rationality in terms of merit and tribal considerations was maintained at all”.

“When a leader is elected and inducted as a cabinet minister, he becomes the leader of the state and is expected to treat everyone equally and not have special considerations for his tribe or his own constituency alone. Therefore, we demand Dy. CM to clarify the above queries.

“While appreciating the assurance given by the chief minister that a committee shall be set up to suggest measures for fair recruitment in the police department, we are surprised that he has maintained an eerie silence over the backdoor appointments totalling to around 1000. We would like to hear from him what his government plans to do with these illegal appointments. Is his government willing to rectify the glaring illegality committed by one of his cabinet ministers, or is the government simply going to condone the wrong?” read the statement.

The union warned that until a panel of inquiry is formed as demanded, “no cadre (genuine or bogus) shall be allowed to go for reporting and training at any cost”.

“The police department is hereby sternly warned of serious law and order problem while forcibly trying to go ahead as planned without conforming to the demand of the public and also ignoring steps to be initiated by the chief minister as assured in the floor of the House,” it stated.