Newmai News Network IMPHAL | MARCH 31 The All Tribal Student Union, Manipur (ATSUM) appealed the government to appoint a "deserving senior most local IAS officer" as next Chief Secretary of Manipur, saying it will bring peace and development in the State. ATSUM General Secretary, Seiboi Haokip said that the incumbent Chief Secretary, RR Rashmi will be retiring within this month. He appealed the government to appoint Chief Secretary from the "local senior-most IAS cadre" without any favour or bias. The ATSUM leader pointed that “there is a local senior most IAS officer, even more senior than many retired Chief Secretaries of the State”. Instead of appointing such IAS cadres as the Chief Secretary, the Government often transfers deserving IAS cadres to other states and appoints "non-local IAS cadres" as Chief Secretataries. “If such trend is continues in the State, it would be very discouraging to the young IAS officers who are dreaming of becoming as Chief Secretary someday,” said Seiboi. The ATSUM leader then questioned that “If the tribal IAS officers' rights are denied then the government's 'Go to Hill' slogan holds no meaning. Also speaking on the occasion, ATSUM tribunal secretary, Joseph R Hmar said that “we do not question or doubt the caliber, intellectual and personalities of non-local officers, but there are qualified and well deserved local IAS officers among the tribal IAS officers”. According to ATSUM leaders, they said they learned that the government will be appointing a non-local IAS officer as the next Chief Secretary. "Why the government continues to appoint the non-local IAS oficers as chief secretary", Joseph Hmar questioned. He then stated that ATSUM has been demanding the government to give more preference to the local IAS officers for the post of Chief Secretary.
