CEO violating political rights of university teachers – Nuta

Dimapur, May 27 (EMN): Accusing Nagaland state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) of ‘wilfully misinterpreting section 159 of the Representation of People Act to harass university teachers and violate our freedom to political rights,’ the Nagaland University Teachers Association (Nuta) has stated that the CEO will ‘bear full responsibility for any further action from the association for these gross injustices and violation of the rights of central university teachers in Nagaland.’

A statement from the Nuta on Sunday refuted the CEO’s claim that university teachers were not exempt from election assignments. “Section 159 of the Representation of Peoples Act specifies ‘staff’ of universities but the CEO Nagaland seems ignorant about the fact that the word ‘staff’ in central universities refers to administrative staff as in office assistants, accounts officers, assistant registrars, deputy registrars, joint registrars who can be requisitioned for election duties.

“According to the University Grants Commission Act and Regulations, university teachers are not ‘staff.’ Therefore, the CEO Nagaland has wilfully misinterpreted 159 of the Representation of People Act to harass university teachers and violate our freedom to political rights,” the statement read.

Condemning ‘such misinterpretation,’ the Nuta questioned the ‘intention’ of the CEO and the deputy commissioners of Kohima, Zunheboto, and Dimapur. It has demanded ‘unconditional withdrawal of the illegal show cause notices.’