1. This is with reference to the press statement issued by the media cell of the Congress party sometime in the middle of December, 2012, and also the clarifications sought though press statement by certain organizations and individuals in the local media, regarding the post of Adviser-cum-Sr. Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, and the appointment of Shri Lalthara, the former Chief Secretary, to this post. Since this is the first time that such a senior non-cadre post is created in the State, it appears there is some amount of misconceptions about the whole idea behind the creation of this post, and the nature of work to be performed by the officer.
2. In the first place, the idea is borrowed from the long time practice in the Government of India, ever since the time of Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, which has been continued till date under every regime. The post of Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister (Non-Cadre post) has already become a permanent fixture in Government of India, whereby, the Prime Minister chooses a senior retired officer, enjoying his trust and confidence, to head the Prime Minister’s Office. Some of the most well known amongst them are Shri P.N Haksar, Shri P.C Alexander, Shri Brajesh Mishra, Shri TKA Nair and now Shri Pulok Chatterjee, all of whom were hand-picked by the PM of the day from amongst retired IAS officers. At the moment, after the recent appointment of Shri Pulok Chatterjee as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, the former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Shri TKA Nair has become Adviser to Prime Minister. Another retired IAS officer, Shri Shivshankar Menon is also working as Security Adviser to PM. Thus, under the present UPA-II regime, there are 3 retired IAS officers serving in the Prime Minister’s Office. The two Advisers are in the rank of Minister of State, while the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister is in the rank of Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India. It appears this arrangement is considered necessary in the GOI, and it has never been questioned or criticized by the Opposition, or by the media. Many states, such as Tamil Nadu, Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, UP, Mizoram and other states have also started using retired IAS officers as Advisers to CM, and other similar non cadre posts; and such appointments are offered to retired officers having the trust and confidence of the Chief Minister.
3. There has also never been an over-lapping of works or duties between the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. Even in the State, the functions of the Chief Secretary’s office and that of the Chief Minister’s office are clearly defined in the Rules of Executive Business of the Government, and there is no scope of such confusions. As regards to designating the Adviser-cum-Sr Principal Secy to CM as the bureaucratic head of Chief Minister’s office, it may be clarified that every office, at the District, Directorate and Secretariat levels, should have a designated bureaucratic head for functional clarity, and to be answerable in the event of litigations, or RTI applications etc. concerning that office.
4. Another consideration behind the creation of this post in the State is the imminent shortage of senior IAS Officers in the State. Many of the non tribal IAS officers allotted to Nagaland are not interested in remaining in the State cadre, and they managed to get their cadre transferred to other mainland States on some grounds or the other. More than 15 IAS officers have got their cadre transferred from Nagaland during the last 20 years or so, while not a single reverse cadre transfer to the state takes place during the same period. It may be added here that due to some defective cadre allotment formula followed in the past, we do not have any regular recruit Naga IAS Officers allotted to Nagaland Cadre during the entire 15 years period from 1992 to 2006, thereby creating a huge gap in the hierarchy of IAS officers in the state. Moreover, most of the senior IAS officers presently serving under Nagaland government are going to retire within the next 2 to 3 years, and it would be difficult to find enough senior IAS officers look after the key posts in the State, including the CMO.
5. These are some of the considerations behind the creation of the post of Adviser & Sr. Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister in Nagaland. The Government feels that for a long time to come, the State may need this post, irrespective of which party comes to power in the State, or who becomes the Chief Minister, (just like it has been happening in the Central Government). Further, the appointment to this post is on contract basis, which runs concurrently with the tenure of the Chief Minister. But it can be terminated at any time by giving one month’s notice from either side, should the need arise, because the person holding this post should enjoy the trust and confidence of the Chief Minister at all times. Should any CM feel in future that he does not need this post, it can be abolished at any moment, as it is a temporary post.
6. Therefore, there is no reason to feel from any quarters that there is any hidden agenda behind the creation of this post.
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( Abu Metha )
Chief Minister’s Office
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