Editor,
It is time to confront an uncomfortable reality within the Arunachal secretariat. Behind the ceremonial speeches and declarations of progress during the Statehood Day lies a deep sense of injustice among those who have spent their entire careers upholding the administrative backbone of the state.
Many assistant section officers in the Arunachal Pradesh Civil Secretariat are today on the verge of retirement. For three decades, they have handled the real work of governance. They have processed files, interpreted service rules, applied financial regulations, prepared cabinet notes, drafted notifications, replied to audit objections, and ensured that government decisions withstand legal scrutiny. They have quietly protected procedural integrity while others occupied visible positions of authority.
The post of undersecretary is not symbolic. It demands mastery over rules, independent file disposal, supervisory control, and policy clarity. These competencies are cultivated over years in the policy processing stream of the secretariat. The ASO cadre is structurally designed for this progression.
Yet, at this decisive stage, uncertainty over rightful promotion casts a shadow over officers who are about to superannuate. To deny or dilute their elevation now is not merely administrative adjustment; it is a serious institutional failure. It sends a dangerous message that decades of core administrative service can be overlooked at the final hour.
The role of personal assistant within the Arunachal secretariat is respected and important. However, it is functionally distinct. It revolves around executive assistance and confidential coordination, not long-term policy processing and rule-based decision making. Blurring these structural distinctions weakens the very foundation of cadre discipline.
A mature secretariat must protect its institutional logic. If those who carried the burden of files for 30 years retire without due recognition, morale across the ministerial cadre will suffer. Young officers will question whether commitment to core administrative work truly leads to fair progression.
Statehood represents dignity and self governance. That dignity must reflect within the Arunachal secretariat. Justice delayed until retirement is justice denied.
Let the government reaffirm its commitment not only to development and infrastructure, but also to fairness within its own administrative structure. Recognising the rightful claim of the ASO stream to promotion as undersecretary would not be a favour; it would be an act of institutional integrity.
A state grows strong when it honours those who build its foundations.
Anonymous