Kevitho Kera: Article 16 of the Indian Constitution states: (1) There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.
Supreme Court judgment, as passed in Umadevi Case (2006) states that backdoor door appointment is illegal.
It is clear that backdoor appointments go against the spirit of the Indian Constitution. In our state, all laws are flouted and in matters of public employment people without facing any required procedures for employment are made to hold government job. People who do not sit for examinations or face interviews get employed.
For a good reason, the Constitution stated that in matters of public employment there should be equality of opportunity. Implicitly it means all intending candidates must sit for examinations and face interviews to be able to hold government job. In the end it means merit is stressed for holding government jobs.
What is going on in our State regarding backdoor appointments and its consequences?
* Low quality workforce: Since government jobs are manned by people who are not qualified, in other words who did not sit for examinations or faced interviews, our workforce quality is low. Sitting for exams and facing interviews mean a person has been selected based on merit. It means quality.
* Efficiency in running the state affected: with such low quality workforce, the overall efficiency in running our State gets affected badly. In other words, low output. Our State can be run better if people of merit are behind the desk.
Nagaland will continue to regress unless this chronic illness of "Backdoor appointment" is addressed. If Meritocracy is introduced and sustained, there will be tangible changes. The onus is on the Government to see to it that Meritocracy is put into force.
This write-up is purely addressed on "Backdoor appointments" so I will address "Nepotism" on a separate write -up.
Amen Jamir: True that. The worst affected by backdoor appointment is the Education and Medical departments. Because these two departments are messing with lives and future of an individual big time. Sad to see many unprofessional and non technical employees appointed through backdoor when many professional Technical educated ones are unemployed or working in private institutions with underpaid salaries . The reasons why many technical educated ones don't want to come back to Nagaland to serve our own people is because of BACKDOOR APPOINTMENT.
Interesting part of backdoor appointees is that the department through internal arrangements sends them for short term trainings for a week or month, which actually is a refreshers course for the professional trained technical employees. Everything is so frustrating in Nagaland. Voicing out against such practices will be ignored or shut up with threats or manipulative excuses. In other states such untrained professionals are terminated with no second thoughts strongly supported by the Technical Associations. But here it's the other way round.
Sungti Moa: It’s getting worst year by year. The number of employees in Nagaland who are backdoor walas have become majority among the total number of Nagaland Government employees. Appointments are happening every now and then in every departments even with so many cases and PILs going on. The legitimate employees who have actually appeared exams should question why a faltu person should be equivalent in stature to them? Be it grade 3 or whatever. A legitimate employee cadre and backdoor cadre must exist (like worker class classification). Just see what if one fine morning the legitimately appointed employees decided to wear a small badge to work in entire government departments to signify a higher command of stature or respect because they are genuine. We will be surprised they will be just a handful.
Worhonthung Ezung: A few points from observation.
1. Posts are created and appointments made not on need based but to the pressures of higher ups even if not needed or in excess. A 'bottom-up' approach is required and not 'top-down' approach even in this area.
2. A State Staff Selection Commission be established to look into the selections and appointments of Group C and D employees which are not covered under the NPSC. This will ensure equal opportunity, fair play, open exams and hence reduce the so called backdoor appointments.
3. Preference in promotions, handling responsibilities, heading the departments etc be given to those who were appointed through competition/NPSC rather than those who had never sat for open exams or interview.
4. To relook into the direct appointments of novices who are without any knowledge of government functioning, office procedures, file management, government accounting system, conduct rules or experience and training in handling huge responsibilities in certain Missions, projects, schemes etc. like MGNREGS, SSA, RMSA, NSRLM, Smart City project.
5. A policy where the right persons are appointed and engaged for the right job for higher performance and efficiency.
6. VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) to be strictly implemented especially for non performing and corrupt officials.
7. A policy where awards are given for excellent performance and also punishments for irresponsibility and failure to perform.
Whom should we blame?
Barth Humtsoe: The recent post about a recently black topped road getting washed at the first drop of pre-monsoon rain got me thinking. Whom should we blame? The concerned minister did his part by requisitioning fund and releasing the same. I don't think it is the duty of our minister to inspect each and every site. The Department concerned has employees with designations that say "field supervisor", "Overseers", "Site Engineers". Thus, is it not the duty of those officers to check the quality of our roads? Why should our Ministers bear the blame alone. Like Kahuto Chishi Sumi once mentioned, I think he is very much correct in saying the crux of the problem of corruption lies with our bureaucracy and the subordinate officers. Of course our politicians aren't saints but our bureaucrats inspite of having the power to check on the corrupt practices of our politicians and their subordinates refuse to do so because they are either corrupt themselves or they fear being transferred from their plump position (which is corruption again). But the most corrupted lot are the mute public. You might not be monetarily corrupted but your silence says your conscience is corrupt. Ami koile ki hobo iku nahobo mentality toh ami kahm charibo lage. Today we have only a handful of Nagas who can say they are not financially, morally or consciously corrupted. These handful of Nagas are viciously challenging the establishment through RTIs and through media whereas the rest of us, me included, are nothing but consciously corrupted lot who blames the government, the department but does nothing aside from complaining.
Change won't come unless there is an agent of change and THAT AGENT IS YOU AND ME.
