The All East Kameng District Students’ Union (AEKDSU) on Saturday took out a massive bike rally here demanding a permanent additional deputy commissioner (ADC) for Seppa, the headquarters of East Kameng district and filling up vacancies of nearly 60 head and admin-rank officers in the district.
The rally which began from Nicham Sonam Bridge culminated at the general ground here.
The AEKDSU has locked horns with the state government ever since former ADC was transferred from the district
Union president Chakang Yangda addressing the gathering said, “The AEKDSU had served a 7-day ultimatum to the chief secretary on May 6, pressing for their demands after former Pravimal Abhishek Polumatla got transferred prematurely. We are left with no other choice but to protest as the seven days have already expired.”
East Kameng has been presently fighting two fights, the coronavirus outbreak and shortage of government machinery.
On top of this detrimental situation, the ADC cum nodal officer to district level COVID-19 control room also got transferred.
We have been only given false assurances by the chief secretary, Yangda said.
Yangda said though East Kameng is one of the oldest districts in the state, it has suffered badly in terms of district administration delivering public services for many years.
“Most of the offices of departmental heads’ are lying vacant since for several years. This we have informed in the past to the chief secretary’s office on several occasions,” the AEKDSU president added.
The union reasoned that due to “insufficient administrative cadres, developmental activities and initiatives in the district are severely hampered.
It is the common public who suffers here the most as all the In-charge officers are overburdened owing to which they get hardly any time to work with an effective approach, it said.
Issue chairman cum AEKDSU Speaker Ajay Matam informed that as a responsible organization, their contention is purely issue-based and that they condemn such sad state of affairs.
We pledge that such step-motherly treatment towards our district won’t go unnoticed, he added.
Matam also said that the union may intensify such forms of democratic protests in its second phase of protest if their demands are not met.
Solidarity protests were also held by different student bodies at RGU, NERIST, DNGC and other parts of the state.
The protest observers carefully abided by the government guidelines for Green Zone areas, AEKDSU informed.