Kohima: Nagaland has ballooned from three districts in 1963 to 17 today. This rapid expansion aims to boost local service delivery. However, the administrative workforce has not kept pace. Administrative officers now frequently juggle multiple postings through an additional charge system. This practice aims to patch holes in staffing but draws sharp criticism from those on the ground.
The state began with Kohima, Mokokchung, and Tuensang. Decades of redrawing maps followed. Seven districts existed by 1973. Four more arrived by 2003. Recent years saw a surge of new jurisdictions. Noklak joined in 2021. Chümoukedima, Niuland, and Tseminyu followed later that year. Shamator became the 16th district in 2022. Meluri became the 17th in 2024. Each requires a Deputy Commissioner, ADCs, SDOs, and EACs to function.
The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms manages the IAS, NCS, and NSS cadres. On March 31, 2026, the government reshuffled 74 officers. The move sought to streamline field-level administration. Despite this, one officer stated, “not in any equal proportion” when asked if staff levels met the demands of the new districts. Another noted that splitting attention across jurisdictions weakens decision-making. He argued, “decision are best made when one is hands on, in-situ or on site to ‘smell and feel’ the pulse of the matter or area that you are administering.”
Absentee administration remains a recurring concern. Logistical hurdles like poor office infrastructure and lack of vehicles further strain the workforce. Some argue that officers prioritize their primary posting, leaving additional charges to subordinates. Conversely, NCSA President S. Tainiu claims this system has minimal impact on governance. She maintains that additional charges stay within local sub-divisions to ensure continuity. Tainiu acknowledged, however, that no specific guidelines exist to help officers prioritize between primary roles and extra duties.
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