All East Kameng District Students’ Union (AEKDSU) on Wednesday served a 7-day ultimatum to the Arunachal Pradesh government for revoking the transfer order of East Kameng ADC, Pravimal Abhishek Polumatla.
The union, which met the chief secretary at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday threatened to launch democratic protests against the government if its demand for a permanent additional deputy commissioner (ADC) is not met.
Stating the plight of the district administration, the AEKDSU said “the entire nation has entered the third phase of lockdown and the local district administrations across the state are gearing up preparations, strengthening measures to ensure that the necessary guidelines of the MHA for prevention of the spread of the deadly virus is strictly implemented”.
But exactly the opposite has occurred in East Kameng, the union alleged.
“The nodal officer to COVID19 has been transferred and his charge has been handed over to a senior grade APCS officer who already has several other offices to serve as the in-charge officer,” the union mentioned.
Highlighting scarcity of administrative officers in the district, the AEKDSU said many officers in the district have been made ‘overburdened’ due to handling of in-charge portfolios.
This has hampered the developmental process, the union asserted.
Terming the transfer of IAS officer Polutmatla as ‘uncalled and unwelcoming’, AEKDSU president Chakang Yangda said it has deeply hurt the local sentiments.
Yangda accused the chief secretary of giving false assurances to the people of the district, knowing the gravity of pandemic worldwide.
The chief secretary had on April 29 assured the union that an IAS officer would be posted as an ADC in Seppa as the reliever to the outgoing one.
Echoing similar sentiments, the East Kameng Chamber of Commerce and Industries and East Kameng Social Welfare Cultural Organization also appealed to the state government not to transfer the ADC Polumatla
Yangda said AEKDSU will hold a peaceful protest after the expiry of the ultimatum on May 13, 2020.
Solidarity protests would be held by different student, civil societies and community-based organizations across the state and country, said Yangda.
Yangda also said the protestors will abide by the government’s prescribed restrictions and would not gather in large numbers.
However, any kind of law and order fallout, breach or failure in following government guidelines on COVID19, the state government will be held responsible, AEKDSU said.
The union further said it would intensify such democratic means of protests in the near future if its demand is not met.