By: Kerlang Ksoo, Dkhiah West, East Jaintia Hills District
With the recent development in East Jaintia Hills District whereby the Deputy Commissioner was transferred out of the blue to serve his new responsibilities in the Mining and Geology Department is something to be described as a shocking move by the Government. The District within a short span of 9 years of its establishment has witness a total number of five Deputy Commissioners giving the average serving period of a meager 1.8 years for each one of them.
In about four years of completing its term, the MDA regime has already transferred and shuffled three Deputy Commissioners in the district. The question is whether the transfer process is really happening for the development and progress of the district and of its residents? The Chief Minister and his Government knows best though.
As a concern resident of the district, I fail to observe neither will I be able to understand as to how the Deputy Commissioner can look out for the implementation of ongoing schemes, projects or execute new ventures in his jurisdiction if the time period of serving his responsibilities is framed to an average of 1 years and 8 months only. Why can’t he be allowed to serve for three years at the least? How can the district prosper in all angles of development when the captain himself gets changed constantly prior to reaching his finishing line? Does the Chief Minister and his government really care about the development of the district? Or are the resources of the district the only priorities for them to gamble at all times?
Poor health facilities, lack of educational infrastructures, shortage of potable drinking water, connectivity issues besides other major problems in the district that need special and immediate attention by the government are left unattended, the outgoing Deputy Commissioner in his short duration of 1 years and 2 months serving period however has created a good connection with the general public right from the grassroot level achieving good performances whether in combating COVID-19, vaccination drives besides launching many projects/schemes in different villages but unfortunately ended up being prematurely assigned away from the district.
If this tradition of transferring the district administrator is being practiced regularly by this government, the big question before everyone to ponder is, whether East Jaintia Hills is an Administrative District or merely a Business District for the government?
