SHILLONG: Tennydard Marak, who is following up the ST status case of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has filed an RTI query before the Public Information Officer, Chief Secretary’s Office, seeking action taken by the Chief Secretary on the direction of the President of India and Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), New Delhi, on the ST status issue.
In the RTI application filed on June 18, Tennydard wanted to know whether any action has been initiated by the Chief Secretary on the letter issued from the office of the President’s Secretariat on March 7 this year on the ST status case.
The President’s Secretariat, through a letter issued on March 7 and addressed to the Chief Secretary with a copy to Tennydard, had directed that action taken on the petition should be communicated to the petitioner (Tennydard) directly with intimation to the President’s Secretariat.
Tennydard was compelled to file the RTI application since he has not received any reply from the Chief Secretary.
Another query was on whether any action has been initiated by the Chief Secretary on the letter issued from the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) dated February 14 and March 18 this year.
The Chairperson, NCST, had reminded the Chief Secretary seeking his comments and action taken report on the case through the letters.
Moreover, the applicant also made a query on the action initiated by the Chief Secretary on his letter dated February 13 addressed to the official.
Guv replies
The Meghalaya Governor’s Secretariat has conveyed to Tennydard Marak in reply to his letter on June 18 that the office of the Governor is not the competent authority to decide the tribal/ caste status of any individual.
“The representations received in this office have been forwarded to the State Government for appropriate action”, said N.K Arjun, Deputy Secretary to the Governor of Meghalaya, in his reply on June 20.
