DIMAPUR, March 1 - Nagaland Director General of Police T John Longkumer has dismissed allegations of backdoor appointments of constables in Nagaland police.
Longkumer, in a statement, said the appointments, which were made by the respective unit commanders, were in accordance with the established rules, notifications and standing guidelines of the government. He added that the appointments were made in the same capacity and authority in practice since the creation of the police department.
He said any attempt by any unions/associations or individuals to delay or stop the training of the newly appointed constables will adversely impact the functioning of the department in particular and the law and order in general.
The State police chief said the training institutes � Nagaland Armed Police Training Centre (NAPTC) and Police Training School (PTS) located at police complex in Chumukedima � are professional centres of excellence and have been conducting training of the new recruits for the last many years catering to the needs of the State at large.
He said the high-level committee constituted by the State government on February 20 to look into the alleged illegal appointments in the police department has submitted its report to the government. The report is under examination of the government, he added.
The committee was tasked to examine and study all matters and procedures relating to recruitment in all ranks in the police department outside the purview of the Nagaland Public Service Commission.
It was also asked to recommend necessary changes/modifications for streamlining and enhancing transparency in the mode and manner of the entire recruitment process.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio announced the setting up of the committee in the Assembly on February 14 to review the entire appointment system in the government and submit recommendations for fair recruitment.
On February 10, the Naga Tribal Union Ch�moukedima Town said it would not allow training of about 1,200 new police recruits, except for 208 candidates who were selected through an open recruitment rally, at NAPTC and PTS in Chumukedima town for alleged violation of norms and established system in the recruitment process.
Again on Saturday, the union served an ultimatum to the police department to cancel the appointment of 934 candidates �recruited without open recruitment�.
In the ultimatum addressed to the DGP, president of the union Lhousito Khro demanded that the remaining appointments be cancelled except 208 advertised posts and conduct general recruitment for 934, failing which the union would take its own course of action.
The union said it would not relent or compromise unless all the vacancies were advertised.
The Opposition Naga People�s Front in the Assembly on February 15 also demanded cancellation the questionable appointments of the candidates who had bypassed the open recruitment tests.
