The appointment of R. Kothandaraman, who is neither from the state nor an IAS official, as the principal secretary in the Assembly secretariat, has created a controversy with the NGOs opposed to the appointment.
The Khasi Students Union, the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People and the Synjuk ki Seng Samla Shnong had also met the Speaker last week, urging him to cancel the appointment.
KSU general secretary Hamlet Dohling today said the NGO would submit a letter to the Speaker asking him to abort the appointment and send a copy of the letter to chief minister D.D. Lapang.
“If the government does not respond, we will launch a series of agitation,” he added.
The NGOs also flayed the Speaker for the appointment of the new principal secretary in the Assembly with a salary of Rs 75,000 per month, excluding TA, DA and other allowances. They said it would bring additional burden to a small state like Meghalaya.
They said an official with an IAS or Meghalaya Civil Service background should be appointed at the secretariat.
Dohling said Meghalaya was not a dumping ground for a “tainted” official.
Kothandaraman is allegedly facing an inquiry for anti-government activity in Nagaland, was chargesheeted for threatening the secretary general of Lok Sabha secretariat, P.D.T. Achary, and was terminated from Goa Assembly for alleged misconduct.