Administrative convenience. This is the line that Chief Minister O Ibobi and the Congress have been parroting to justify the creation of the seven new districts. The Sangai Express has no arguments with this for ultimately administrative convenience should underline all reasons for creating new districts. The BJP too knows this and this is the primary reason why it has not gone hammer and tongs against the decision to create the seven new districts. That the timing was suspect is there, for it came just before the State was about to go in for her Assembly election and the natural question that follows is why this decision could not have been taken earlier. Timing, this is important and Chief Minister O Ibobi surely knows the essence of good timing and this is the reason why The Sangai Express has been maintaining that the longer the United Naga Council continues with the blockade the better the chances for the Congress in the hustings. What however has not been studied minutely by the media and the other political parties, particularly the BJP, is how far the creation of the new districts will promote administrative convenience. A point which was brought out succinctly by BJP candidate in Saitu Assembly Constituency Haokholet Kipgen during his flag hoisting ceremony at Hengbung ground on February 17. What purpose does the creation of new districts serve if the respective Deputy Commissioners are not accorded their due official power and authority. If what Haokholet said is true, and there are reasons to believe he was speaking the truth, then were the districts created just for name sake ?
Hailing from Kangpokpi district, it may be assumed that Haokholet Kipgen was speaking exclusively for this district and herein arises the question about the other districts. If this is the situation at Kangpokpi district headquarters then what about the other newly created districts, for example Kamjong and Pherzawl ? Caught up as all are with the ongoing economic blockade and the coming Assembly election, the media too has not been able to concentrate on the newly created districts and if one actually gets down to the business of studying the infrastructure at these new districts, then there will be many shortfalls. It is this which the other political parties should have dug up to whip the Congress with. Haokholet Kipgen talked particularly about the powers and responsibilities not given to the DCs of the newly created districts but what about the other offices such as the office of SPs, the engineering departments, the power departments etc. Did the Congress do its homework properly before announcing the new districts or does this mean that the new districts will have to wait for some more time ? Remember administrative convenience is the line that the Congress has underlined to justify the creation of the new districts but if something as fundamental as equipping the DCs with the right power and authority has been overlooked then the line administrative convenience falls flat on its face. Period.
Source: The Sangai Express
