Mizo students protest over re-employment of retired official

Members of Mizoram's influential student organisation, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), on Monday gheraoed the tourism office here in protest against the re-employment of the department's director following her superannuation in April.

The protesting students also prevented the director and other staff from attending office.

On Saturday, the MZP had accused Chief Minister Lalduhoma of blatant favouritism over the re-engagement of R. Lalrodingi as tourism director despite a written assurance from him that the government would review her re-employment.

Lalrodingi, who retired as the additional director in the commerce and industries, and geology and mining departments on April 30, was re-employed by the government, giving dual charges as tourism director as well as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the CM with effect from May 1 through an order issued on April 24.

However, on May 15, the government cancelled the order and decided that she would continue only as OSD after the MZP met Lalduhoma and urged him to rescind her re-engagement as tourism director on May 13.

The government changed its decision again on May 22 and ordered that Lalrodingi would take the additional charge as director of tourism with immediate effect.

Expressing disappointment over the latest order, MZP president C Lalremruata claimed the chief minister had given them false assurances when they met him on May 13 to object to the government's move to re-employ Lalrodingi as the tourism director.

He said the CM had promised them to review re-employment through a written commitment.

Lalremruata said while the organisation has no say in Lalrodingi's appointment as OSD as it was a political move, it vehemently opposed her re-engagement as tourism director.

He said the MZP has been strongly opposed to the re-employment of retired officials as it blocks promotional avenues for serving officials and job opportunities for educated youth.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Lalrinpuii, who previously held the tourism portfolio, defended the government's decision to re-engage Lalrodingi, citing that her services were desperately needed.

She said the bureaucrat, who once worked under the North Eastern Council (NEC) in-charge of tourism and also held the post of state tourism director for a brief period before her retirement, was an efficient official and expert in securing central funds.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)