Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) has demanded state governor P.B. Acharya to remove Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner Sushil Kumar Patel alleging that he has failed to discharge his duties and responsibilities as administrative head of the district. In a letter to governor, MTLT president, Imkummeren Jamir and Public Grievances Cell, MTLT, Aolong Imchen claimed that DC, as the chairman of the District Level Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee, failed to seriously tackle the Midday Meal (MDM) rice issue at Mokokchung by putting the lives of thousands of students at stake.
The signatories alleged that MDM rice for the students was found to be spoilt, unhealthy and infested with worms, and when MTLT highlighted through a petition and mass media on March 9, 2016, the DC instead of taking urgent measures, had tried to daunt the concerned citizens by citing CrPc 1973.
They said that though he did not directly named MTLT but was evident from the order, which was issued the next day after MTLT visited the schools and highlighted the issue.
Stating that the action of the DC had terribly hurt the sentiments of concerned Mokokchung citizens, the MTLT said that it did not need such “callous administrator” in our district.
MTLT also flayed DC for not conducting the interview for the posts of LDA, Dobashi and driver that was advertised last year. They alleged that the interviews for the said posts were to be held in the middle of 2015 but was postponed and the interview yet to be conducted.
Having concern on the delay in the interview process, the MTLT said various organizations and NGOs had issued memorandums to DC, but so far there have been no response.
They said that the delay in conducting interviews have destroyed the hopes of the deserving applicants and in turn had made the concerned citizens lose their confidence in the “shrivelled competence” of Sushil Kumar Patel.
MTLT also alleged that in 2015, when whole Mokokchung town reeled under darkness for more than a month (August – September), the DC failed to take the issue seriously. During the crisis, MTLT alleged that DC because of his “incompetence” as the administrative head, failed to understand the “destitution” of the citizens. “Being a civil servant belonging to the prestigious IAS it is appalling to realise that the heart of this DC is an open sepulchre”, MTLT said.
The signatories also alleged that the 750-crore NEC-funded Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT), Mokokchung, constructed under Central funding, was not functional even after a lapse of five years since its inauguration on August 1, 2011. In this regard, MTLT had impressed upon the district administration to make the ISBT functional several times. However, it remained a “phantom facility due to lack of its intended utilisation”, said MTLT.
As such, the MTLT and also the concerned citizens of Mokokchung have totally lost trust in Mokokchung DC, Sushil Kumar Patel.
Therefore, the MTLT urged the governor to look into the demands with all seriousness and remove Sushil Kumar Patel as the DC of Mokokchung at the earliest.