SHILLONG: The state president of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues pertaining to the National Commission of Schedule Tribe (NCST) with respect to the North Eastern Region of India.
In a statement issued on Sunday, LJP chief Jamil Ahmed has said there is an attempt to shift the NCST office from Shillong, “which is unwanted” since the office is most centrally located for taking care of any programmes, activities for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes of the northeastern states, including Sikkim.
“The idea of shifting is detrimental,” he wrote in the letter. The party has also informed that there is not enough staff in the office. ‘‘We are informed that there is only two permanent staff at the rank and files of office peon and chowkidar whereas there should be 10 more staff right from the post of assistant director which had been lying vacant since 2016 and the post of superintendent is vacant since 2017,” the statement read.
Further, LJP stated that the officer-in-charge of NCST, Shillong office, is now under redeployment or holding dual charge along with Jharkhand office.
It would be difficult for the officer concerned to address the issues of Tribal Affairs effectively.
Citing an incident of injustice of a former employee of NCST, Shillong, the party has informed that a local lady, who retired as office superintendent in 2017 and later appointed as consultant after her retirement has been removed as consultant in an unceremonious way which had really hurt the sentiments of the locals since she belongs to Khasi tribe.
“Even her honorarium of around Rs 2 lakh and other office expenditures have not been paid which on the contrary may amount to harassment of a person belonging to a scheduled tribe of Meghalaya for which the office of NCST had to stand for,” the letter said.
The party further urged the prime minister to make NCST Shillong office as the headquarters of the North East and upgrade it to the directorate level controlling the whole region and each state will be controlled by assistant/deputy/additional director.
While expressing disappointment, the LJP stated that currently there is not a single member representing North East in the commission.