Mizoram government has once again made its stand clear on its proposal for an appointment of a chief secretary, who knows the Mizo language.
Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appoint a chief secretary, who knows Mizo language.
Zoramthanga, who is currently in the national capital, called on the Prime Minister on Tuesday and discussed a wide range of issues, including the appointment of chief secretary and Myanmar refugees.
The Mizoram chief minister urged the Prime Minister to consider the state government’s request to appoint a chief secretary, who has the knowledge of the working standard of Mizo language “to be more effective and efficient”.
Prime Minister on his part assured the chief minister that he will take up the matter with other leaders and officials.
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Renu Sharma, an AGMUT cadre IAS officer of the 1988 batch, was appointed by the Centre on 28 October to take charge from 1 November. The same day, the Mizoram government also ordered JC Ramthanga to take charge as chief secretary from November 1 until further orders.
Sharma assumed her office on November 2.
On October 29, Zoramthanga had written to Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to modify the Centre’s order of appointing Renu Sharma as the Chief Secretary of the state and instead appoint a person, who knows the working standard of Mizo language, as the chief secretary of the state.
He had said that he requested his additional chief secretary Ramthanga to replace incumbent Lalnunmawia Chuaungo after his retirement on October 31.
In the letter, the chief minister had pointed out that none of the cabinet ministers understands Hindi and some even have problems understanding English.
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“The Mizo people by and large, do not understand Hindi, and none of my Cabinet Ministers understands Hindi, some of them even have problems with the English language. With such a background, a Chief Secretary without the knowledge of a working standard Mizo language will never be an effective and efficient Chief Secretary,” CM Zoramthanga had said in the letter.
He further added in the letter that “Due to this fact, the Government of India never posted a Chief Secretary who does not know the working standard of Mizo language since the creation of the state of Mizoram.”
During his meeting with Modi on Tuesday, the Mizoram chief minister urged the former to provide assistance to Myanmar nationals, who fled their country following the military coup in February.
He further urged the Prime Minister to take measures to ensure that Mizoram has a separate cadre of IAS and other all India service officers and also to provide housing assistance to ex-cadres of Mizo National Front (MNF), who came overground after the signing of the Mizo peace accord in 1986.
As regard the construction of bamboo link roads, which Zoramthanga has put up before Modi, the latter said he would instruct the Union Finance Minister to make head of account for sanctioning of fund for the purpose.