Chief Secretary Donald P Wahlang has expressed concern that over the last few years the civil services has received a lot of flak and criticism.
Wahlang said it is time to retrospect and also to introspect as to why the “steel frame has rusted and why the definition of civil service has been questioned time and again.”
Celebrating the16th National Civil Services Day at Pinewood Hotel today he also spoke on the relationships between the officers and the public and the political executive. “We are very fortunate to be working in a State like Meghalaya because the political executive in Meghalaya is different from the rest of the States where we seldom come across any conflict between the political executive and the bureaucracy,” he added.
The Chief Secretary urged the officers “to keep the eye on the ball” and not to lose focus. “It is important not to lose focus and finish what you have started and ensure closure without abandoning it or going it up, ensure that whatever you are doing goes and benefits the last denominator in this whole ecosystem that is the common man and if that is not done we have not done our job,” he added.
He also mooted for the Civil Service Award in the State replicating the National Civil Service Award.
The event was also attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Dr Shakil P. Ahammed and retired IAS officers, Anil Swarup and Dr Rakshit Tandon.
Swarup had served the country for 38 years in various capacities and was also the Secretary to the Government of India. Tandon, a revolutionary in the field of cyber security and has years of experience of more than a decade in security domain.
The theme of this year’s National Civil Services Day is ‘Viksit Bharat’ aimed at ‘Empowering Citizens and Reaching the Last Mile’. The day is dedicated to the Civil Service officers to acknowledge the work of officers engaged in various public service departments. This day is also a reminder for the civil servants to run the administrative machinery of the country collectively and with a dedication of serving the citizens.
