K. Filip Sumi
Transfer and posting of government officials has always been a serious affair anytime it is undertaken with intense lobby by the legislators running to the doors of Chief Minister, P&AR Department, and other respective Departments. The recent reshuffle was among the most crucial with elections just few months away. However, among the reshuffles, Police Department drew the widest attention with some NGOs jumping into the issue of the transfer and posting of Commissioner of Police (CP), Dimapur. Given the prestigious posting place of Dimapur, be it administration or police, the top officer grabs the limelight and becomes well known by the people of Nagaland with ample assistance by the media. The first to comment on the issue was the Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) which diplomatically urged the government to cancel the transfer order of the incumbent CP so as to allow him to complete the minimum requisite term. Having known that another officer was to be posted as the new CP, the Western Sumi Hoho and Western Sumi Kukami Hoho hailed the State Government for its decision and it also diplomatically urged for completing the handing-taking over formalities without delay. The Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur, which attracted publicly unheard flaws for declaring an ‘Ao candidate’ in Dimapur during the 2013 State General Elections, joined the chorus to revoke the transfer order stating that the incumbent officer was being transferred just after nine months of being posted. The ASTD also exhibited high degree of diplomacy when it stated that the Union do not undermine the capability or efficiency of any officer. The DUCCF had a point in stating that the officer should be allowed to complete the minimum period of service at one place and the WSH/WSKH too had a point in expressing its concern that an urban local body was interfering in the transfer/posting of government officers. But the WSH/WSKH also directly/indirectly interfered into the government’s affairs by expressing urgency on completing the formalities. For any transfer/posting, the Government sets certain time ‘on or before’ date to complete the formalities and so it was unnecessary for the WSH/WSKH to urge completing such exercise at the earliest. All the four NGOs mentioned credentials of the police officer it favoured – because without such references their statements would not carry the desired weightage. Hence, it becomes difficult to confidently decipher any existent codes behind diplomatic languages used by the NGOs either in support of retention of the police officer or completing the transfer/posting formalities soon. This is not the first time that an administrative or police officer is being transferred after serving in Dimapur for some months. The DUCCF as a neutral body giving a kick-start to the issue was a surprise because it has always maintained a clean image on transfer/posting matters except when it comes to Dimapur Municipal Council chief which it is aptly related to. However, the ATSD, WSH and WSKH sending across their messages clearly reflected a tribal tone to the issue without making it sound so. There have been many instances across the state where the NGOs jump in for retention of certain officers. A case outside Nagaland but connected to the State may be taken into account relating to the issue at hand - the likelihood of appointing Dr. D.K. Bhalla, IAS as Nagaland Chief Secretary after premature repatriation to his state (Nagaland) cadre. The Press Information Bureau on November 28, 2017 in a single sentence notified, “The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the premature repatriation of Dr. D.K. Bhalla, IAS (NL:1986), Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat to his cadre with immediate effect.” Bhalla was appointed as Secretary, LS for a period of three years in the beginning of 2015. Bhalla was of the rank of Chief Secretary in the Government of Nagaland from March 1, 2015. However, since he did not go for the posting after becoming Secretary in LS, his junior Pankaj Kumar was made the Chief Secretary, the Daily Pioneer stated. This is not the first time Bhalla’s tenure was curtailed. His earlier tenure as Executive Director in the Food Corporation of India under Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution was also curtailed prior to his appointment as Secretary in LS. Besides Bhalla, there were many officers whose tenures were curtailed by the Central Government in the past. Such reshuffles outside the state/centre are met with less resistance from public organizations compared to Nagaland. The transfers/postings are the prerogative of the government and any interference in such matters, obviously, is not to the liking of the government but succumbs to it. Whether it is overstepping of jurisdiction by the civil societies or weakness of the government; it is for the people to understand.
