Mechanical engineers stage sit-in protest

Our Correspondent KOHIMA, DECEMBER 8 MEMBERS of the Association of Mechanical Engineers Nagaland today staged a sit-in protest at the office of the chief engineer PWD (Mechanical) in the state capital against the backdrop of lack in response from the government of Nagaland regarding implementation of Engineering Service Rule (ESR) for recruitment of Assistant Mechanical Engineers (AMEs) and Junior Engineers (JEs) in the PWD (Mechanical) department. As reported earlier, the association has been raising the issue that hardly 26% of AMEs and 7% of JEs are recruited through NPSC against a total of 60% and 90% respectively as specified in ESR. The association’s demand is that ESR be implemented immediately by sending requisition to NPSC for two assistant mechanical engineer posts currently purported to be lying vacant and nine JE posts currently appointed on contract basis. The association members expressed dismay that despite repeated appeals to solve the issue for the past seven months, the state government has remained silent. Towards Monday afternoon, the chief engineer held a meeting with the AME executives and later addressed the protesters. He expressed that the matter was beyond his power, however, he assured that he will forward the proposal at the government level. The association, in turn, issued an ultimatum to the department to comply with its demands within 15 working days from today, failing which, it cautioned that an indefinite protest will be launched. Copies of the ultimatum were also forwarded to the Governor, Chief Secretary, Commissioner & Secretary PWD (Mechanical) and the minister concerned. The ultimatum was jointly endorsed by president AME Nagaland Er. Alemtoshi Imsong and general secretary Er. Joyson Pfithu. Several members of the Eastern Nagaland Students Federation, Angami Students’ Union, and Kohima based student units of Chang, Sema, Ao and Konyak communities also turned up at Monday’s sit-in protest to express their solidarity to the cause of the Association of Mechanical Engineers Nagaland.