Two important resolutions were passed by the members during the 18th general conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region, Zone-III, hosted by the Arunachal Pradesh legislative assembly. In the first resolution, the government of India has been urged to adopt differentiated and targeted guidelines under the centrally sponsored schemes (CSS), including incorporation of a cost disability index for the Northeast region. The second resolution called for creation of a separate state-specific cadre for the states of Arunachal and Mizoram, or in the alternative, for ensuring long-term and stable tenures for All India Service officers posted in these states.
Both the resolutions are genuine and deserve the attention of the central government. The criteria and guidelines for implementation of the CSS in the NE region need to a relook, considering the topography and geography of the region. The situation in the region is quite different from mainland India. This factor needs to be zeroed in on while making a policy for implementing centrally sponsored schemes in the NE states. Further, the demand for the creation of state-specific cadres for All India Service officers posted in Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram should be seriously considered. At present, officers are posted in the state AGMUT cadre. They have a three-year tenure, and after that, are posted out of the state. This hampers the long-term development plan. By the way, IAS and IPS get a fair idea of the local situation and start adopting when they are transferred out. The new officers take time and this cycle keeps ongoing. This causes a lot of trouble in implementing the development projects.