By Our Reporter
Shillong: The decision of the State Government to extend the service of the Chief Engineer, State Sports Council, W Kharmalki for another two years has drawn flak from local NGOs of here including the FKJGP and KSU who termed this decision as ‘biased’ and ‘unfair’.
Kharmalki, who was due to retire on July 31, has managed to get a two-year extension on the flimsy grounds that his junior officers are not yet ready to occupy the top post in the Council.
“We are against this decision of the government and we think that it is unfair on the part of the government to re-appoint the same man to the post while thousands of qualified youth are sitting jobless”, working president of the FKJGP Joe Marwein told reporters here on Friday.
Meanwhile, the KSU has slammed the state government for re-appointing Kharmalki and discouraging thousands of unemployed youth who are fighting their way to earn a living. KSU president, Daniel Khyriem said this sort of precedence should not be created in Meghalaya as it is illegal.
Taking strong exception at the Government action the KSU has demanded that the state government should immediately revoke this decision and appoint a fresh person to the post so that ample opportunities are opened for others to get promotion.
The KSU have said they would send a letter to the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, BM Lanong on Monday demanding him to cancel the arbitrary decision by the state government.
Meanwhile former Home Minister RG Lyngdoh who is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Social Venture Capital of Meghalaya Rural Development Service (MRDS) said that the re-appointment Kharmalki reeks of nepotism.
“As far as I know this matter has not gone to the cabinet for ratification. It is therefore illegal. And for the Minister Sports and Youth Affairs to say that Kharmalki is still strong and healthy and therefore his services should be extended is ridiculous. In that case every government employee who retires should go for a medical check up and if certified fit then he/she should be re-employed. This is a very unhealthy precedence,” Lyngdoh stated.
President ICARE, Toki Blah said someone should be bold enough to file a public interest litigation on this issue and stop this nonsense once and for all. In the Government no one is indispensable,” Blah said adding that second rung leaders have to take on responsibility from their seniors. There are many others who feel that there is more than meets the eye in Kharmalki’s reappointment.
Reportedly Kharmalki has managed to make the various Sports and Youth Affairs Minister dance to his tune. Kharmalki had joined the State Sports Council in 1988-89 when the Engineering Wing in the Council was conceptualized. As mentioned earlier Kharmalki joined as a junior engineer but managed to quickly scale up the ladder because of political patronage. The Government has based the re-appointment of Kharmalki on his ‘experience’ stating that people with experience are needed to complete the pending projects of the Council.