Kohima,25 July : Discussions on skill upgradation among the employees of the government, the process of equipping individuals with the understanding and knowledge which enable them to perform effectively, systems upgradation and improvement and improving the delivery mechanism of the government within the ambit of the capacity building dominated the meeting of the Administrative Heads of Departments and Heads of Departments in the Civil Secretariat conference hall on 24th July 2008.
Initiating the discussions on the subject, Principal Secretary & Development Commissioner Alemtemshi said that capacity building is a vast subject as it encompasses almost every of human development-social, political and economic. He said that capacity building is a long-term and continuing process in which all stakeholders participate (Ministers, local authorities, NGOs, professionals and academicians). Alemtemshi, who is also the Chairman of the Task Force on capacity building said, keeping in mind the vast scope of capacity building, the Task Force decided to approach the activities under the year of the capacity building to enhancing the essential organizational and institutional prerequisites of the government of Nagaland for economic and social progress of the state and enhancing the skills of the society of Nagaland, with particular attention to enhancing/building of capacities of the youth for sustainable livelihood and formal employment.
Under the systems updation, the Development Commissioner said that there is an urgent need to attend to various basic laws, rules, regulations and the procedures laid for the functioning of the government. He also said that the exercises in the departments should be a year long activity and suggested that all departments should come out with a policy statement for defining their existence and to define their approach.
Chief Secretary, Lalhuma who presided over the meeting stressed the need to enhance delivery mechanism of the government and asked all departments to do something innovative and special. Budgetary support for the implementation of capacity building was also discussed at the meeting.
Raking up the issue of long pending pension cases in various departments, Principal Secretary, School Education Banuo Z. Jamir drew the attention of the Heads of Departments that government has miserably failed to do justice to those retired officers and staff and there is an urgent need to correct it. She cited that some employees who already retired in 2004, 05 and 2006 are yet to get their pension benefits.
The Chief Secretary also sounded concern over the issue and asked the officers in the meeting whether they are doing justice to those retired employees. He said it the moral responsibility of the government to finalize pension cases (benefits) in time.
Taking part in the discussion, Principal Secretary, P&AR, C.J. Ponraj said 90 officers from various departments have already been provided training in handling pension cases during 2007. He said P&AR department is working out a modality to speed up finalization of pension cases in future. He also invited major departments to identify the bottle necks in quick finalization of pension cases. He also said that in cooperation with the Accountant General, pension Adalat will be held to finalise pension cases on the spot.
The Chief Secretary also suggested setting up a committee to look into this issue.