Nagaland Civil Service officers highlight hardships
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphuo Rio and others at the 45th general conference of the Nagaland Civil Service Association (NCSA) at the RCEMPA, Jotsoma on March 5. (Photo Courtesy: @Neiphiu_Rio/Twitter
Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 5
Nagaland Civil Service Association (NCSA) president W Honje Konyak today highlighted various hardships and problems faced by NCS officers of the state and made a plea to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to address the same.
In his presidential address at the 45th general conference of NCSA here today at RCEMPA Jotsoma in the presence of chief minister Neiphiu Rio as the guest speaker, Honje said that the Nagaland Civil Service has its antecedents even prior to statehood and is often said to be the premier service of the state.
“The NCS cadre is 308 strong and the present strength is 279. We are currently manning each and every administrative circle in the state from Hunta & Tizit in the North, to Nsong in the South, Thonoknyu in the East, to Tsurangkong and Ralan in the West,” Honje said.
Sharing its duties, he said “We have been teaching in schools where they did not have enough teachers, during the monsoons we have slept on the highways and roads to ensure that repairs are carried out speedily so as to alleviate the sufferings of the public, we have worked 15-16 hour days during relief operations, we have organised mass social work and helped civil organisations in organizing events such as the Mini Hornbill festival and road shows that the Government initiated.”
He said the officers of Nagaland Civil Service have consistently been going above and beyond its charter of duties in service of the state.
‘Many district headquarters
lack enough quarter for officers’
He said the officers spend an average of 20 years in the field, often far from their families and basic amenities. “Many district headquarters do not have enough quarter for the officers. We stay for years in a Single room of a guesthouse if there is one or we rent private accommodations where we often pay more than l0 times the amount we are given as HRA. In places where we have quarters, some have no running water, some quarters are not electrified, some do not have functioning toilets, some don't have ceilings, some don’t have doors or windows, some don 't even have walls and with very few exceptions, none are furnished with even a bed,” he said.
‘Some transferred 6 times
in under 3 months’
He said one can imagine what they have to pack and carry when transferred and some of its members have been transferred twice in a week.
“Some of us have been transferred up to 6 times in under 3 months; transfers are a part of our service condition but surely such frequent transfers in such circumstance are unjust,” Honje said.
He said there is great disparity in the sizes of the administrative circles, some administrative circles have jurisdiction over just couple of villages, while some have over 50 villages.
Some administrative circles do not even have a police outpost, because the criteria for the creation of police establishments are more stringent than that of administrative circles, he said.
Stating that Nagaland has completed 57 years of statehood, he said “perhaps a review of the administrative establishments is needed to ensure parity of governance and work distribution.”
Meanwhile, the NCSA extended its full support and appreciation to the efforts of the present Government into rationalizing the system and addressing lapses.
Plan to pursue mandatory
mid career training
Stating that effective human resource management is crucial in ensuring that our state machinery works at peak efficiency, from recruitment to retirement all employees of the government are its assets, he said the Association approached the Government last year on the issue of mid career trainings for the officers to ensure that “we remain productive and dedicated.”
In this, he thanked chief secretary and the then Development Commissioner who have already initiated trainings for the officers.
On this matter, the Association plans to pursue mandatory mid career training to be linked to promotions. This will ensure that our officers continue to remain effective and efficient, he said and appealed all the members to support this endeavour and to attend the trainings diligently.
“The Association would like to reiterate that protests and representations are not the first resort for our service. We in the field have often been on duty controlling and monitoring such protests and it is incongruous when we ourselves take up those same weapons. However, we have increasingly found ourselves at a disadvantage in terms of the Government,” he said.
Pray for construction of flat
type quarters for NCS officers
Requesting Chief Minister and Chief Secretary to look after the civil services in the state, Honje said “ we are your representatives in the field and in the offices, if the IAS is the steel structure of the country/State, the NCS officers are the nuts and bolts holding that steel structure in place.”
Stating that the problem of accommodation persists from the field to the heart of government for the NCS officers, he said the Association has prepared a DPR/proposal for construction of Flat Type Quarters for NCS officers posted at the Secretariat and prayed for consideration of the same on priority.
Further, Honje impressed upon NCS officers to remember that “we are in the service of the state and that we must be sincere, dedicated and efficient in our assigned tasks.”
During the inaugural session, the Association made obituary reference on late Molhou Zhasa, late Zutsepa Katiry, late Ramongo Lotha, late Imtiwapang Aier, late Wasu Katiry and late Anyei Walliemp.
The Association also felicitated the retired NCS officers and IAS inductee during 2018-19.
The inaugural function was chaired by R. Daniel Angami while vote of thanks was proposed by NCSA vice president Angelina Tajen.
Earlier, interactive session took place with chief secretary Temjen Toy. Business session, NCSA music competition also marked the conference.
