Human Resource Management in Nagaland: A review

The secret of success of any nations or states, any government sector or any private sector rests in the ability of the leaders to effectively and efficiently manage the human resources. Human resource management implies management of manpower, skills, knowledge, techniques and time needed that is to be executed by placing right person for the right job, at the right place and at the right time. It pains me to go through our daily papers almost everyday covering the plethora of corruption issues such as over appointments, backdoor appointments, wasteful expenditure or deficits. Such a repeated negative issues would definitely instill negative mindset of the young generation and the consequences would be disastrous.
 I firmly believe that there is always a point of solution for any given problems and in my observation, our problems may not be due to the wrong motives or wrong intention of government or our political leaders or bureaucrats or head of the department officials but mainly due to error or mismanaged human resources.
 It is notional for anyone to expect from their employee to produce more profit for the employer. It is the duty of the employees to produce more output in terms of the profit for the employers but it is the responsibility of the employer to hire the right employee for the right job if he wants more benefits from them, otherwise, employer would definitely run the business in deficit. The same holds true in the current context of our failure of the functioning and the system of the institutions in Nagaland.
Logically speaking, the “Big question” to be asked is, why government’s business should run into deficit when the surplus manpower (employees) is available at its disposal? The positive and corrective solution is possible only if the employers of our State (political leaders and bureaucrats) are sincere enough to bring change for the interest of the State, leaving aside the interest of an individual or political “ism” and done away at once with all sorts of “Bias”.  Saying goes “the most difficult groups to handle in any governmental establishments are- political backed employees, land owner employees and underground backed employees”. It is my sincere plea that the employers of our state Nagaland consider the following points which might be of help for the interest of public in general and government in particular.

1.    Issues of transfer and posting of officers: Employer needs to identify the potentials and credibility of an officer for the job to be posted or transferred for the interest of the government and not for political gain or for individual obligation. Government should consider the sincerity and dedication of an officer for the job before picking blindly. First collect and assess the bio-data and performance of the officers from concern authority so that right fitting and right placing for the job bring much profit for the government and benefit to the public. Political favored candidate does not always mean an officer is the best candidate for the right job. All sorts of attachment posting should be stopped.  Stagnation of the functioning may be the resultant of favoritism.
2.    Issues of awards to best officials: Honoring awards to the state officials are in fact a positive motivating factor. Incentives such as these needs to be more sensitive, more practical and well placed policy, so that awards given are quality-based and scope-oriented and not merely a frame work. Criteria should considered the ability of the leadership in discharging duty, positive all round development in his/her department, efficiency in handling the situation and of course, sincerity, corrupt free and regularity of attendance to the assigned posting should be given a top priority.
3.    Authority, responsibility and accountability: When the officials in the higher places don’t stay at designated posting how can government expect its business to yield profits? District authority should be endorsed the authority to check and take action to errant officials or head of department. Head of department should hold responsible and accountable for irregular employees or errant subordinates. Under no circumstances, staffs’ salary or bills are to be carried outside the district or office premises to be signed by its heads. Booking of salary through e-banking of errant employees should be banned at once. Ministers and MLA of respective constituency should assess the functioning of officers deployed in his/her areas, look into the welfare of the officers whether their officers get the same facility and treatment as those contemporary officers posted in the capital, assess the infrastructural status in their constituencies in order to draw their point of justification.
4.    Need based recruitment of manpower and need based procurement:  Government need to assess first whether the recruiting manpower at particular centre or procurement for particular centre is vital (must) or essential (necessary) or just desirable. For instance, the slogan of NRHM is to provide 24 x 7 round the clock services at PHCs. Whether resource spent on salaries are really doing the desire job for the government? Before supply arrived, infrastructure needs to be in place to contain or accommodate the facility supplied. For example Regional Diagnostic Centre, the facility required in the centered arrived before the building construction is actually completed thus facility arrived is lying wasted. Another example is that X-ray technician are deployed in the centers where X-ray machine or infrastructures are not available. Thus wastage of resources results. Critical Path Analysis (CPA) must be taken into consideration first in order to avoid resource wastages.
5.    Issues of resources allocation: The question of integrity and sincerity of the state employers comes when the issues of justice of equity and equality arise. Definitely the rural community does not need the facilities that are available in the capital but do they really get what they deserve? Are all District Headquarters getting similar and equal facility as District needs? Here comes the issue of equity and equality distribution of resources. For example,  allotment of government vehicle where brand new are given to the officials in the capital or district headquarter where workshops and spare parts are available whereas near off road or third hand are given to the officials posted at the outpost or interior areas where even eagle dare to tread.
6.    Issues of allotting contract works for Infrastructure building: Allotting contractual work order should be based on reliability and feasibility of the work to be done by the contractors. Genuine tender system for the work and consultation of at least head of department of concerned authority should be taken into consideration where work is to be done. Whether major work or repairing work, blue print should be made mandatory. Clearance of the bills even before the work being actually started should be banned.  Bottle neck system and political obligation should be done away for the interest of the state.