UDP questions govt for barring employees

SHILLONG, JAN 11: The decision of the state government to bar government employees from holding office in a community based organization, association and traditional body, has drawn flak from the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) who has termed the decision as an act of ‘dictatorship.’

UDP on Monday questioned the intention of the state government for taking such decision without taking the views and opinions of stakeholders.

UDP working president Jemino Mawthoh said, “The big question is what made the state government to take such decision especially on the issue related to traditional bodies in view of the fact that these are grass root institutions and not pressure groups.”

During its first sitting of the year, the state cabinet had approved the proposed amendment of the Meghalaya Services Conduct Rules, 1990 which seeks to restrict government employees from holding office in a community based organization, association and traditional body.

As per the proposed amendment, Mawthoh said that a clause has been inserted in Rule 20 (b) which will be read as – “No member of the service cell except with the previous sanction of the government hold office in a community based organization, association, traditional body or society.”

Mawthoh argued but these are grass root institutions which were there for decades and have been functioning in a collectively.

He said, “In fact being an office bearer in such traditional bodies and organization is more a voluntary job and having government servants has to a great extent improve their functioning besides facilitating government schemes and others.”

According to him, though it is understandable that the Service Conduct Rules has clearly mentioned that government employees cannot involve in politics but there is no specific mention whether they can be gaonbura or headman in a village.

“Such sudden imposition without any engagement for public views is clearly an act of dictatorship on the part of the state government,” Mawthoh stated. He was of the opinion that the state government should instead leave it to the wisdom of the grass root institution rather than coming down heavily with such decision.

“Government should leave it to the wisdom of a dorbar shnong on the matter,” the UDP leader said.-By Our Reporter