Nagaland government machinery needs urgent reforms; Abu Metha writes to CM

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 6 (EMN): Advisor to the chief minister of Nagaland, Abu Metha has stated that there is an urgent need for reforms in the state government machinery in order to improve the capacity and calibre of the government employees at all levels.

“Unless we carry out reforms and undertake measures aimed at elevating the government machinery, the negative impact on the government machinery in the coming years will be difficult to overcome,” Metha wrote to the chief minister.

The letter dated October 5 came a few weeks after he wrote an article, ‘Desperate need to reform bureaucracy and red tape’, which was published by this newspaper earlier last month.

“The response to my article calling for bureaucratic reform has been overwhelming from both serving and retired officers agreeing that reforms are really required,” read the tweet which has the letter attached.

In the letter, Metha pointed out that reforms are required in the civil and police services so that the state’s services can be motivated to perform better and improve the overall output of the government machinery.

‘Initiatives to enhance the capacity and calibre of the government machinery through training programmes and collaborative linkages with world class institutions and centres of excellence must be pursued,’ he wrote.

Reforms are also required in other state services to motivate and encourage the government employees. More opportunities for the state’s services and the possibility of ensuring that they can reach the highest levels of government will make the crucial difference in motivation and output, he added.

Further, he observed that there must be a new, modern, and practical system of appraisal, evaluation and performance assessment. A system of meritocracy will improve delivery mechanisms and ensure that the government’s policies and programmes are reached to the targeted beneficiaries in a successful manner, he added.