TURA, Jan 4: A controversy erupted after an official letterhead of National People’s Party legislator from Siju-Rongara, Rakkam A Sangma surfaced on social media, containing the names of candidates allegedly recommended by him for various posts of the District Selection Committee (DSC) in South Garo Hills district.
The government-allotted letterhead recommended four names for grade-IV posts, two each for forest guards and lower divisional assistants (LDAs), one for the post of plumber and a laboratory assistant. The letterhead has set tongues wagging.
The recommendation of candidates by legislators is not new with the most infamous case being the white ink controversy for teachers’ posts that had the recommendations of several legislators from Khasi and Garo Hills regions. The CBI is probing that case.
In the present case, the MLA has dismissed the letterhead as fake.
“The letterhead does neither have my signature and seal nor is it addressed to any district authority. All legislators keep these letter pads in their offices. People come to meet us every day. I am certain someone took away this letter pad with an intention to malign me politically,” the MLA told The Shillong Times on Tuesday.
The DSC results were declared last week and none of the names mentioned in the letterhead are on the results sheet, he said.
“The two names for LDA as claimed to have been recommended by me are not on the final list of results. The fake letterhead claims I had recommended names for Gram Sevika, lab assistant, forest guard and plumber posts but the truth is that the DSC has not even advertised these positions. It has not also called for any exam,” the livid legislator said.
He chose not to file an FIR stating it is a “political attempt” to malign his image ahead of Assembly elections, due in 2023.
