IMPHAL: Ten tribal MLAs in Manipur have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting him to issue directions to the state government to reinstate three officers in services, who have been suspended for allegedly helping 26 schools in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts get CBSE affiliation. In a memorandum to the home minister, the MLAs, including seven belonging to the ruling BJP, claimed that it has been learnt that the Kuki-Zomi officers serving in the Manipur education department were suspended by the state government for issuing no objection certificates to the 26 schools for obtaining CBSE affiliation, following the ethnic violence in the northeastern state. The legislators also sought ''to initiate necessary steps to restore the CBSE affiliation” granted in favour of these schools at the earliest.

State Education Minister Th Basanta Kumar Singh could not be reached for comment. The Manipur government had, earlier, instituted a three-member inquiry committee to probe ''into the issuance of no objection certificates for CBSE affiliation by unauthorised persons/ officials”.

The committee was asked to ''find out officials responsible for issuing the NOCs without following due process... and recommend appropriate actions against responsible officers''.

CBSE later withdrew the affiliation with immediate effect ''on the ground that the NOCs submitted by these schools have not been issued by the competent authorised functionaries of the state government and for cancellation of affiliation as requested by the state government”.