Shillong, Mar 15: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Monday demanded the state government to pass an official resolution for creation of a separate All India Services (AIS) Cadre for the state of Meghalaya.
In a letter to the chief minister Conrad K Sangma, HYC general secretary Roykupar Synrem said, “…we feel that a “resolution to this effect” should be brought and passed by the State Assembly impressing upon the Union government to bring an Amendment to the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 for creating a separate AIS Cadre for the state of Meghalaya.”
He said the state is working with nearly half the assigned strength of the IAS officers, as a result of which works are being affected.
He said at present, only AGMUT and Meghalaya-Assam have a joint cadre system. “If a small State like Sikkim has its own Cadre and our fellow NE States like Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland can have their own Cadres, then our also deserves a separate Cadre of AIS. It is understood that having our own cadre will mean that the officer has to live in the State permanently for his/her entire career and he/she has to become familiar with the State’s language, culture, administration and other facets. This will ensure his/her loyalty and long-time dedication to the State as he/she has to start and end his/her career here only,” he said.
He said having a joint cadre system also affects governance as the full strength of the Officers may not be allotted/ assigned to the State as is evident at present and this in turn will leave the state and its people to suffer.
“Once an AIS Officer is allotted to the state, he/she is bound to serve the State for an entire career unless he/she goes on interstate deputation or Central Government deputation, both of which are temporary and the Officer returns back to the home state,” Synrem said.
“As such, HYC feels that although successive state governments have made an effort to impress upon the central government for bifurcation of the Joint Cadre with Assam, nothing substantial has come out of these discussions,” he said.
