Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing his dismay over the recent appointment of Renu Sharma as the chief secretary of the state. He said Sharma cannot be an efficient chief secretary since she does not know the Mizo language.
In his letter to Shah, dated October 29, the chief minister complained that though he had requested the Centre to appoint Additional Chief Secretary J.C. Ramthanga as the next chief secretary after the retirement of Lalnunmawia Chuaugo, the home secretary appointed Sharma to the post.
Zoramthanga said most of the people in Mizoram as well as his colleagues in the cabinet do not understand Hindi and some of them even have problem with English.
“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 and pointed out that the successive governments at the Centre—both UPA and NDA—had never posted a chief secretary who does not know the Mizo language since the formation of the state.
“It is a well known fact that in 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,” he said.
Zoramthanga further sought to remind Shah that he had been a faithful partner of the NDA from the beginning and he deserved a special favour and consideration.
“…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,” the chief minister said.
The Centre had appointed Sharma as the chief secretary on October 28 and asked her to take charge on November 1. An AGMUT cadre officer of 1988 batch, Sharma was the additional chief secretary (Transport) to the Delhi government.
