Mizoram Chief Minister Pu Zoramthanga has written a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, asking him to modify the Union government's order and replace Renu Sharma, who is the current state chief secretary, with JC Ramthanga, as she does not have a working knowledge of the Mizo language.
The Union government had appointed Sharma as the chief secretary of Mizoram on 28 October, and she took charge on 1 November. However, the Mizoram government had also appointed JC Ramthanga as the new chief secretary and asked him to take charge from 1 November. The state currently has two chief secretaries.
"After the retirement of my Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaugo of Gujarat Cadre, I requested my present Additional Chief Secretary JC Ramthanga (Manipur Cadre) to be the next Chief Secretary. However, the Home Ministry has posted Mrs Renu Sharma as the new Chief Secretary," Zoramthanga wrote in the letter dated 29 October.
"The Mizo people, by and large, do not understand Hindi, and none of my Cabinet Ministers understand Hindi, some of them even have problems with the English language. With such a background, a Chief Secretary without the knowledge of a working standard Mizo language will never be an effective and efficient Chief Secretary," he said in his letter.
He said because of this very reason, the Government of India had never posted a chief secretary who did not have working knowledge of the Mizo language since the creation of the state of Mizoram.
"Whether it is the UPA [United Progressive Alliance] Government or the NDA [National Democratic Alliance] Government at the Centre, this has been a practice since the creation of Mizoram State. It is a well-known fact that in the other States of India, a Chief Secretary who does not know even the basic working language of the respective state is never posted at all," the chief minister added.
He then said that he has been a faithful partner of the NDA and thus deserved a special favour and that his request would be looked into.
"Considering all these facts and circumstances, the proposal of Chief Secretary, which was given even to my predecessor Congress Chief Minister, if it is denied to me, the Congress party and all other Opposition Parties will make a mockery of me for faithfully serving the partnership of NDA. I, therefore, earnestly request you to modify the order and kindly accept my proposal," Zoramthanga said.
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