Shillong: Advocate Napoleon Mawphniang claims government records regarding a senior Indian Forest Service officer at the Governor's Secretariat are riddled with contradictions. RTI filings obtained by Mawphniang show conflicting data on the officer's job title, pay, and official service records.
In March 2024, the Personnel and A.R. Department ordered the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to act as Principal Secretary to the Governor. A promotion followed on April 24, moving the officer to the Apex Scale as Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor. Confusion erupted on April 27. A transfer of charge document showed the officer signing as both the outgoing Principal Secretary and the incoming Additional Chief Secretary. "The same man signed on both sides of the page. He handed charge to himself," Mawphniang stated.
Salary discrepancies deepen the mystery. The Governor's Secretariat claimed in a July 14 reply that it does not handle the officer's pay. Conversely, the Secretariat Administration Department (SAD) stated on July 28 that it holds no records for an Additional Chief Secretary post. The SAD further noted the officer drew salary from November 2025 against the post of Principal Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya. Mawphniang questions how the officer claims an Additional Chief Secretary title while receiving funds allocated for a different position.
Service records also clash. The Governor’s Secretariat denied holding any attendance or tour records, yet the SAD provided such documents. Furthermore, the Personnel and A.R. (B) Department failed to reply to an inquiry sent on July 2 regarding the legal sanction and budget for the Additional Chief Secretary role. Official files currently list the officer under three different titles within a single year. Mawphniang is now escalating the matter to the Meghalaya State Information Commission to force the government to produce the original appointment orders and budgetary proof.
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