Itanagar: Congress Lok Sabha member Ninong Ering, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has appealed to set up a separate cadre for Arunachal Pradesh.

Ering, while stating that a separate cadre for Arunachal is not only the need of the hour but would also serve the purpose of creating officers who will be attached to the welfare of the people, said the present joint cadre system of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) is creating impediments in the road towards efficient and effective governance and the same must be rectified by the government.

"The demand for a separate cadre for Arunachal Pradesh is necessary in the present dynamic structure of administration. The same was put up by our chief minister Pema Khandu to you (Modi) when you visited the state on February 15. Officers who spend a good amount of time in the state and understand it better in terms of administration are transferred to other locations of AGMUT cadre, never to return probably which creates gaps in administrative understanding. These officers having substantial experience are sometimes involved in very critical projects and they have to just leave the state in case of transfers without adding anything concrete which they could have done, had they been in the same state," Ering wrote in his letter.

When the joint cadre was allotted to Arunachal Pradesh, it was a new state then and continued to be mainly under the AGMUT which generally served Union Territories. But time has arrived now to consider a separate cadre for Arunachal Pradesh under the All India Services which will simplify administration and make governance more coordinated and collaborative in the state, he said.

Further stating that even smaller states like Manipur, Tripura and Sikkim have their own separate cadre and they have benefited greatly by dedicated service of All India Service officers in their own cadres, Ering said a much larger state like Arunachal Pradesh must be provides a separate cadre.

Ering also reasoned that generally, northeastern states are not preferred by officers (as widely seen in the cadre preference order of AIS officers) for work and these are considered to be tough postings which is a big concern.

"If a separate cadre of Arunachal Pradesh is created, we will have a dedicated team of officers who will be serving the state in the best possible manner rather than trying to make attempts to get transferred outside the state," Ering said.