Amidst the continuing ethnic violence in Manipur, a senior bureaucrat has been suspended for refusing to assume the post of Deputy Commissioner of the Jiribam district. Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi invoked Rule 3 of the All India Service (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, to suspend Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Ng. Roben Singh with immediate effect.
The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms had on August 2, issued a transfer order appointing Singh as Deputy Commissioner of Jiribam district in Manipur.
The suspension follows the officer’s failure to comply with the transfer order.
The officer submitted a representation on August 12, citing concerns related to the charged communal situation between the Meitei and Kuki communities.
He expressed reservations about working in Kuki-dominated areas due to safety concerns for Meitei Civil Officers like himself. Additionally, he also pointed out the frequent transfers he had undergone in the past and expressed willingness to serve as Deputy Commissioner in the districts most affected by communal violence in the valley.
The violence in the state erupted in early May after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Since then, more than 160 people have died and several hundreds were injured in ethnic clashes in Manipur.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.