Real Nagaland not only in Kohima or Dimapur, says SDO (C) Zubza

Dimapur, April 13 (EMN): Tiayanger Jamir, SDO (Civil) Zubza on Wednesday stated that the real Nagaland is not only in Kohima or Dimapur and  that Nagaland Civil Service (NCS) officers should be ready to serve in any interior part of Nagaland.

He was speaking at the one-day seminar, organised by Pioneer Institute, Kohima on ‘Roles and responsibilities of administrative officers’, to help civil service aspirants understand the workings of the administrative system in Nagaland from the first-hand experiences of a Nagaland Civil Service (NCS) officer, an update informed.

On being questioned about the impediments to administration in Nagaland, he replied that ‘Article 371 (A) should not be used to our disadvantage, rather, it should be used to promote holistic development and progress’.

While encouraging the young Naga civil services aspirants, he cited that there are complexities, advantages, disadvantages of customary laws and practices working parallel to the administrative duties set by the government.

However, ‘in many cases, the special rights that were granted to our people are often misused and thereby causing a roadblock for many developmental activities due to which, major developmental activities and progress — industrial or agriculture, trade and commerce, town planning — are unable to be enforced due to entanglement of customary land rights provided to the landowners’, he said.

During the interaction, he encouraged them to look for avenues beyond government jobs. Stressing the need for skill development and being independent, he said, “It doesn’t matter which job profile you hold, corruption is everywhere. But if you are truthful and stick to your principles, you will certainly succeed and be satisfied with your work. Don’t give up, we need more genuine government officers in Nagaland.” 

The session began with the managing director, Kiviboto Sheqi, welcoming the officer to the seminar. Roles and responsibilities assigned to the administrative officers were discussed at length, which included the role of Gaon Buras (GB) and Dobashis (DB) in administration.

This was followed by an interactive session with the students, on diverse issues including the NLTP Act, mental health, career prospects of different government jobs and its perks and privileges. The session concluded with Tovikali Swu expressing gratitude to the SDO (Civil) for sharing his first-hand experience and for enabling them to see a wider perspective of administration in Nagaland.

After the session, Jamir discussed at length the avenues where Pioneer Institute can serve the students, who are interested in sitting for competitive exams but do not have the right guidance and resources to begin with.

Therefore, he opined that Pioneer Institute should look for collaborative ventures to help the underprivileged and the needy.