M’laya reels under shortage of IAS officers

SHILLONG: The state is facing acute shortage of IAS officers after eight officials retired this year.
Chief Secretary PS Thangkhiew will be the ninth official to retire this year as his tenure will come to an end in December.
A senior government official admitted that the retirement of officials will affect the administrative functioning since the existing officers are burdened with responsibilities of many departments.
Recently, the government allotted the departments of Arts and Culture and Textiles to Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Kharkongor.
The officials who retired this year are former chief secretary Y Tsering, additional chief secretaries PW Ingty and KN Kumar, officers MS Lhuid, W Khyllep, WR Lyngdoh, PS Dkhar and Tining Dkhar. According to sources, though MS Rao and Shakil Ahmed returned to the state, appointment of more officers can only address the issue.
The state has 42 IAS officers and it will take a long time for the appointment of new officers, sources said.
Adding to the problem is that five officers of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre are on deputation to Delhi.