PASIGHAT, Jan 22: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday assured the Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP) that the issues raised in its memorandum, particularly those related to the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and lateral entry, would be taken up seriously at the appropriate levels.
Addressing the 7th General Conference of CoSAAP here today, the Chief Minister said the concerns regarding the pension system were genuine and required careful consideration. He stated that he had already discussed the matter with representatives from Arunachal Pradesh as well as delegates from neighbouring states and assured that the issue would be raised before the Government of India at both political and administrative levels.
On the issue of lateral entry, the Chief Minister said that although several committees had examined the matter after 2018 - 19, the outcomes had not been satisfactory. He informed that the issue was now being re-examined through the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) to ensure that no injustice was done to any section of employees.
Highlighting the role of CoSAAP, the Chief Minister emphasised the need for better coordination among its federating and district units. He said that the government receives a large number of memorandums from different departmental associations and noted that if issues were discussed and fine-tuned at the CoSAAP level before being submitted to the government, it would save time and make the demands more practical and genuine.
Khandu described government employees as the “permanent system” of governance, stating that while policymakers change, the administration is run by officers and staff. He stressed that honesty, commitment and adherence to rules and conduct were essential, especially in a geographically vast and strategically sensitive border state like Arunachal Pradesh.
Referring to administrative reforms, he said the state government had constituted the Administrative Reforms Commission to examine issues related to manpower distribution, workload imbalance among departments and overall system efficiency. He informed that the ARC’s first meeting was scheduled shortly and that its interim report was already ready for discussion.
Stating that Arunachal Pradesh has over one lakh employees including regular, contractual and contingency staff, the Chief Minister said the ARC would study all aspects and submit its final recommendations, following which decisions would be taken expeditiously.
He credited government employees for the state’s progress over the past decade and said that their morale had improved alongside growth in infrastructure and resources. He reiterated the government’s commitment to employee welfare, including office infrastructure, residential facilities and infrastructure upgradation in the upcoming budget.
Khandu noted that the state’s budget had increased significantly over the years, along with a substantial rise in state-owned resources, enabling greater developmental activity across sectors.
On governance and accountability, the Chief Minister acautioned that corruption leads to project delays, causes public loss and damages the state’s image. He said maintaining integrity, accountability and a healthy work culture was critical, adding that while democratic dissent was permissible, employees undermining government policies from within the system would not be acceptable and would invite strict action.
He also urged CoSAAP to ensure that its technical sessions focus not only on demands but also on performance levels, policy implementation challenges and solutions, noting that feedback from employees working at the grassroots level was invaluable.
Calling all stakeholders “Team Arunachal”, the Chief Minister said the role of government employees would be crucial in achieving the goal of a developed Arunachal by 2047. 
Also present on the occasion were Education Minister P D Sona, Legislators Ninong Ering, Tapi Darang, Oken Tayeng, Oni Panyang, Tojir Kadu and Puniyo Apum, BJP state President Kaling Moyong and others.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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