Many frustrated unemployed sports-persons including women folks attempted self immolation just at the gate of Manipur Chief Minister's secretariat.The unemployed sports-persons few days back had announced that they would take to the extreme step on Christmas Day in protest against the Manipur government's failure to keep its promise.

One 37-year-old Maipak Singh poured fuel onto his body and ran towards the chief minister's gate with matches but the police foiled the attempt of self immolation. Around ten persons are reported to have been with Maipak Singh who was trying to take to the suicide act.

Demanding announcement of the results of the DPC conducted for meritorious sportspersons in April 1999 to fill up some vacant posts in the Education Dept (S) within 48 hours counting from December 23, sportspersons who have faced the DPC have threatened to go ahead with self-immolation if the Government fails to do so within the set deadline.

Few days back general secretary of DPC Faced Meritorious Sportspersons' Association N Maipak recalled the DPC was conducted by the Manipur Govt from April 29 to 20 of 1999 acting on an office memorandum issued by the Personnel Ministry, Govt of India on March 21, 1991 to the effect appointment of meritorious sportspersons to suitable posts. In all, 52 applicants have been selected by the DPC Board. But as 10 of them were found out to be not sportspersons, the then Education (S) Commissioner MA Sattar cancelled the proceeding of the DPC on March 2, 2000.

Subsequently, the aggrieved sportspersons filed a complaint in the High Court and the after hearing the complaint, High Court Judge D Biswas issued directive for revival of the DPC proceeding. Consequent to the High Court ruling, the State Government has issued to order to this effect on 2003, Maipak said. Over and above this, the State Cabinet had discussed the matter over and over again but the results of the said DPC has not been declared till today citing reasons like ban on recruitment for Government jobs, law and order situation and financial condition of the State. But now the Government has declared that the financial position of the State has been improved and recruitment for various posts in different departments is being carried out. So the issue of the DPC faced meritorious sportspersons should be considered, he demanded. The DPC faced meritorious sportspersons have also decried the attitude of the current Education Commissioner Budha Singh who allegedly hurt their sentiments when they approached the officer in this regard. The indifferent attitude shown by the Education Commissioner toward such justifiable demand would only discourage sportspersons in future, they lamented.

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