Don’t need minister’s nod for police recruitment — Patton

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio assures to set up a committee to review appointment process

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 14 (EMN): Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton on Friday said that the recruitment of 929 constables and sub-inspectors, as opposed to the 206 vacancies advertised, were done by the unit commanders; stating that for recruiting constables, “the minister-in-charge’s approval is not required”.  

He said that Police department’s recruitment is done by unit commanders and SPs, and claimed that “these 206 recruitments through open advertisement were because we want to send the jawans outside for training as for the last two years we have not sent them”.

“The 206 recruitments would also not have been advertised as per the notification of P&AR but as we are to start the training within this year the vacancy was advertised,” he said, adding that since statehood, ‘no advertisement was planned by the Police department’.

Patton informed that DGP Nagaland is delegated with the power of recruitment of inspector and sub-inspectors. The opposition questioned “what special power has been delegated to DGP and who empowered the DGP of Nagaland to make such appointments without advertisement or oral recruitment?”, and demanded a special enquiry commission to “see how the appointment has been made”.

Leader of Opposition, TR Zeliang suggested that to bring corrective measures, recruitments should follow the system of Assam Rifles and CRPF, or open recruitments conducted district-wise or tribe-wise. “In future, the power delegated to DGP, commandant or SP for recruitment should be withdrawn by the cabinet because that decision was taken up by cabinet in 2002,” he added.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that it is time to review the appointment system and stated, “we will set up a committee who will give its timely recommendation on how to make fair recruitment and vacancies will be advertised annually so that there will be transparency and no favouritism”.

Backdoor appointments

Patton also read out an ‘allegation’, circulating in social media, about the number of backdoor appointments made by Nagaland’s home ministers over the years. 

Sharingain Longkumer, Speaker of NLA, stated that necessary steps had to be taken to find the source of the allegation; stating that the minister in-charge had raised a concern, which affected the image of all the ministers who have headed the department.

Rio also stated that the allegation has been spread though social media and asked them not to debate over what has not been proven true. He stated that an enquiry was needed to find out the truth about the allegations.

In a starred question asked by NPF MLA Imtiwapang Aier, Y Patton, replied that 15 sub-inspectors were appointed during 2019-2020 and the criteria followed for appointment of sub-inspectors were as per the eligibility criteria laid down vide memo No. PHQ (A-1)/ 127/2000 dated July 6, 2002.