Editor,
Apropos the letter “Blatant corruption in Soil Conservation Department”(ST Feb 21, 2012) I can only say that there is no smoke without fire. It is confirmed that the Department is implementing hundreds of construction projects worth several crores of rupees spread all over the state and the officials of the Department themselves execute these projects. These self styled contractors who are drawing monthly salaries even prepare their own reports and accounts of expenditures and these are accepted by the controlling authority without any field verification. There are no proper checks and balances as the higher ups make field visits only occasionally to few accessible project sites which serve as show pieces while many projects in far flung areas are not properly attended to. This allows plenty of scope for manipulation and corruption. It is strange though that the highest authority in the Department who is expected to be conscientious and pragmatic is blind to all these practices. This more than meets the eye. It is also equally strange as to how the Contractors’ Association allows the officers of the Department to function as contractors while many of their own members are starved of work. It is high time that the Association members explore this Department for opportunities instead of concentrating only on the PWD or PHE Department. The Chief Secretary who is known to be clean, sincere and honest should seriously look into the matter not only to check corruption but also in deciding to provide job opportunities for many unemployed youth in the Soil Conservation Department..
Yours etc.,
P Marbaniang,
Shillong-3
Absurd Govt rules
Editor,
The Government of Meghalaya vide Office Memorandum dated February 22, 2010 issued by the Principal Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Finance Department took a decision to implement the “Assured Career Progression Scheme (ACPS) for the State Government Employees” to deal with the problem of genuine stagnation and hardships faced by the State Government Employees due to lack of adequate promotional avenues as recommended by Fourth Meghalaya Pay Commission. The second sentence of Clause I of the Annexure of the said Office Memorandum as signed by the Under Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Finance (PR) Department states, “The first financial upgradation shall be allowed in the next higher scale of pay after an employee has completed 12 years regular service in a scale of pay and the second upgradation after 12 years of regular service from the date of the first financial up-gradation”. The first sentence of Clause 7 of the same Annexure further clarifies, “Two financial up-gradations under the Scheme in the entire career of a government employee shall be counted against regular promotions availed from the grade in which an employee was appointed as a direct recruit”. However, as per the I/D. No.F(PR)-76/09/Pt/67 dated 20.12.11 signed by the same Under Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, nullified Clause 1 by overlooking the phrase “in a scale of pay” and “regular promotion” provided in the above mentioned Clauses. The interpretation of the said Under Secretary was based on confusion between an “individual’s achievement” and a “regular promotion in a service.” The Order of the Under Secretary implied that if an LDA from Meghalaya Secretariat Services successfully competed for MCS, this is taken not as an achievement but a “regular promotion”. This is an absurd, ridiculous and arbitrary act. Many of the employees of the Government of Meghalaya who successfully competed for higher posts by going through recruitment requirements which are different form the post they held earlier have been unduly denied of the benefits under the Scheme.
Another incredible element about administration in Meghalaya is that throughout India, teachers in Colleges have been newly designated as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor, but the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education (DHTE), Meghalaya still calls them “lecturers” and they are made to draw salaries with out any proper post or designation. Also the lecturers in Meghalaya appointed since June 2010 against sanctioned posts are given state scale. They will have to undergo another screening process to be determined by the DHTE later on (the time frame which is never defined clearly) to examine if they are qualified to draw UGC scale. This is an additional requirement innovated by DHTE, Meghalaya.
For Meghalaya, NET is not sufficient though it is good enough for the rest of India. Incredible Meghalaya!
Yours etc
Batskhem Marboh
Shillong-6