Manipur Ex-MLA Group urges Governor to stop Rehiring Retired Officials, cites Youth Jobs and Corruption

Imphal, Mar 3: The Manipur Ex-MLA Welfare Association has urged the Manipur Governor for discontinuation of re-engagement of retired government officials in the state.

Drawing the attention of the Governor in regarding the issue of re-employment /re-engagement of retired employees, association working president Dr Nimaichand Luwang, in a letter to the former on Monday, stated that the Manipur government Services Federation raised the issue with the Chief Secretary of the state requesting for a complete discontinuance of such re-employment practices.

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The request of the federation was published in the media and it is now in the public domain, it informed.

As a matter of policy, it is understandable that re-engagement of retired officials may be done for certain selected and specialised persons, and that although re-employment may be made in general principle, they are typically governed by specific rules and regulations, the letter noted.

It maintained that these rules should aim at balancing the need for experienced personnel with the need to ensure fairness and prevent any potential conflicts of interest.

The letter emphasised that the re-engagement of retired government employees, while sometimes seen as a way to retain valuable expertise, does have several potential demerits like hindrance to youth employment, and can limit the opportunities for younger, potentially more innovative individuals to enter the workforce.

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“This can lead to stagnation and a lack of fresh perspectives within government departments, and reduced opportunities for promotion,” it said.

When retired employees are re-hired, it can limit the upward mobility of existing, younger employees and this can negatively impact morale and create a sense of unfairness and potential for stagnation, it reiterated.

The overriding principle is that any extension or re-employment must

demonstrably serve the public interest in specific conditions such as the lack of suitable successors, if there’s a shortage of qualified personnel or if no suitable successor is readily available to take over the retiring officer’s responsibilities, it maintained.

Extension, re-employment, re-engagement of the retired officials as currently being practiced in the government organisations in Manipur are rampant and arbitrary and have been done without any basis, the letter observed.

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“It is a very clear example of corruption, bribery, embezzlement,  fraud,  influence peddling,  nepotism, maladministration/mismanagement, abuse of power, lack of transparency, lack of accountability, obstruction of justice etc. It can be concluded as being in conflict to public interest,” it further observed.

The general public of the state wholeheartedly support the demand of the Manipur Government Services Federation for the reversal and complete cessation of the policy of re-engagement or re-employment of retired Government officials in the Manipur government, the letter mentioned.

(Newmai News Network)