A representation alleging irregularities in the appointment of 37 veterinary officers in Manipur has been formally referred by the Governor’s Secretariat to the Chief Secretary for necessary action, according to a reliable source.
According the source, a letter issued from Raj Bhavan, Imphal, dated March 25, 2025 (No. GSM/GEN-8/2008 (Pt-XVII)), signed by the Secretary to the Governor, Sumant Singh, enclosed a complaint submitted by Dr. Sarungbam Indra Singh on February 24, 2025. The complaint pertains to the appointment of 37 individuals, mostly former contractual veterinary officers, to regular positions allegedly bypassing prescribed procedures.
In response, the Directorate of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Services, Government of Manipur, submitted a detailed report dated May 9, 2025 to the Secretary (Veterinary), raising serious concerns over the appointments. The Director of the department, Dr. R.K. Khogenjit Singh, termed the appointments illegal and requested the cancellation of the order dated 8th December 2017, through which the appointments were regularised.
The department stated that the appointments were in direct violation of the Manipur High Court’s judgment in W.P. (C) No. 639 of 2016, which had rejected the petitioners’ plea seeking age relaxation for appointment to regular posts. It further noted that the contract services of these officers had ended on 1st March 2003 as per a government order issued on 30th June 2003, and their reappointment was not legally tenable.
Additionally, the department pointed out that the Under Secretary (Veterinary) issued a letter dated 24th April 2018, requesting the retention of all such appointees who were recruited before the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct for the 2017 elections. This letter, it alleged, was based on a forged document purportedly issued by the Department of Personnel dated 8th March 2018. The Directorate maintained that this forged reference was used to validate appointments that otherwise did not comply with official recruitment procedures.
It was also clarified that a proper recruitment process had already been completed in 2017 and that the reappointment of the 37 individuals bypassed the standard norms, violating both administrative guidelines and court rulings.
The Directorate’s letter referenced the Governor’s March 25 communication, affirming that the matter had been forwarded to the Chief Secretary for necessary action as deemed appropriate by the Governor, in accordance with Article 163(2) of the Constitution of India, which vests final discretion in such matters with the Governor.
The representation and the department’s findings are now under official review, with further action awaited from the state government.