IMPHAL, Oct 13 NNN : Irked by by the demand made by a hill based organisation that the DDO post at the Tribal Affairs and Hills, government of Manipur should be given to a tribal officer, the Movement for Tribal People\u2019s Rights, Manipur (MTPRM) terms the demand of that hill based body as not constructive.
\nThe MTPRM did not mention the name of the hill based body in question but it is obvious that they are pointing at the Federation of All Tribal Youth Clubs, Manipur (FATYCM) who had demanded on October 9 in Chandel that the DDO post be given to a tribal officer.
\nOn Saturday, the MTPRM said it is not necessary at this point of time to demand that the DDO post be given to a tribal officer. \u201cTribal Affairs and Hills, the only department exclusively to deal with any matter relating to tribal people is presently safe as one senior tribal (IAS) officer taking the charge as additional chief secretary of the state is the commissioner of the department (Tribal Affairs and Hills) and the incumbent director and the DDO are equally efficient. Therefore, let the department function freely and fairly without any bias and prejudice so that the department is effective enough to deal with affairs of the tribal. And every tribal has every right to say regarding the functioning of the department therefore, every demand and suggestion should be based on constructive policy, focusing for the welfare of the tribal people who are comparatively backward economically,\u201d the Movement for Tribal People\u2019s Rights, Manipur (MTPRM) asserted.
\nThe tribal rights body then said some improvements have also been made in the tribal affairs department by effecting transfer and posting allocation of works with interchange of works among the staffers so as to vail equal opportunities and privileges in serving the best interest of the tribals, while at the same time lauded the modification order with four tribal employees being given to take care of the Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) in addition to the already existing staff to deal the PMS. It then reminded the Tribal Affairs and Hills department to work sincerely and consult the tribal people for their overall upliftment.
\nMeanwhile, the MTPRM said the new creation of the posts of five Parliamentarian Secretaries is for accelerating developmental activities in the tribal areas in poarticular and the state governement in general,\u201d the MTPRM added, and terms the five Parliamentary Secretaries as \u2018young and dynamic legislators\u2019 who would be instrumental in lightening the workload of the different cabinet ministers to bring about rapid development in the far flung areas, according to their hope expressed.
\nIn the past, there was no ray of hope for the development of the tribal areas in all areas for no exclusive portfolios of tribal affairs being given. However, with the new reshuffle in the ministry and the inclusion of two tribals in the Parliamentary Secretaries \u2014 Victor Keishing and Vungzagin Valte C \u2014 instilled in the people more confidence with the portfolio of Tribal Affairs and Hills given to a promising, young and dynamic leader and the only eclusively existing department to deal with the tribal people, the tribal rights body stated.<\/p>\n\n