Khandu assures govt employees of addressing NPS

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday assured government employees that their issues concerning the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and lateral entry into service would be addressed.
Addressing the seventh general conference of Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP) at Pasighat in East Siang district, Khandu said the concerns related to the pension system were genuine and required careful consideration.
Khandu said he has already discussed the matter with representatives from Arunachal Pradesh and delegates from neighbouring states, and assured the employees that the issue would be raised before the Centre at both political and administrative levels.
On the lateral entry issue, Khandu said several committees had examined the issue after 2018-19, but the outcomes were not satisfactory.
He said that the matter was now being re-examined through the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) to ensure that no injustice was done to any section of employees.
Lateral entry into government service refers to recruitment of professionals directly into middle or senior-level positions outside of regular civil services.
Highlighting the role of CoSAAP, the chief minister stressed the need for better coordination among its federating and district units.
He said the government receives numerous memorandums from different departmental associations and noted that if issues were discussed and streamlined at the CoSAAP level before submission, it would save time and make the demands more practical and genuine.
Describing government employees as the “permanent system” of governance, Khandu said while policymakers change, the administration continues to function through officers and staffers.
The chief minister emphasised honesty, commitment and strict adherence to rules and conduct, particularly in a geographically vast and strategically sensitive border state like Arunachal Pradesh.
Referring to administrative reforms, he said the state government had constituted the ARC to examine issues related to manpower distribution, workload imbalance among departments and overall system efficiency.
Khandu said that the ARC’s first meeting was scheduled shortly and that its interim report was already ready for discussion.
He credited government employees for the state’s progress over the past decade.
Khandu reiterated the government’s commitment to employee welfare, including office infrastructure, residential facilities and infrastructure upgradation in the upcoming budget.
The chief minister also noted that the state’s budget and state-owned resources have increased significantly over the years, enabling higher levels of development across sectors.
On governance and accountability, he cautioned that corruption leads to project delays, public loss and damages the state’s image.
Khandu said maintaining integrity, accountability and a healthy work culture was critical, adding that while democratic dissent was permissible, employees undermining government policies from within the system would not be acceptable and would invite strict action.
He further urged CoSAAP to ensure that its technical sessions focus not only on demands but also on performance levels, policy implementation challenges and possible solutions, noting that feedback from grassroots-level employees was invaluable.
Calling all stakeholders ‘Team Arunachal’, the chief minister said government employees would play a crucial role in achieving the goal of a developed Arunachal by 2047.
Khandu also called on government employees to use platforms such as service association conferences for collective thinking and innovation aimed at improving public service delivery.
“Members of the public service must not confine such conferences to personal demands and memorandums alone, but utilise the platform meaningfully to collectively brainstorm how the public service can work better for the people through innovative ideas, schemes, and actionable plans,” he said in a post on X.
He lauded government employees, terming them as “steady hands that ensure continuity, discipline, and delivery in public service”.
Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona said these platforms should become spaces for meaningful collective brainstorming on how public service can function more efficiently and responsively for the people.
The conference brought together representatives of various service associations from across the state to deliberate on issues related to public administration and service delivery in Arunachal Pradesh.
Legislators Ninong Ering, Tapi Darang, Oken Tayeng, Oni Panyang, Tojir Kadu and Puniyo Apum, BJP state president Kaling Moyong and others were present on the occasion.