Nagaland doctors to go ahead with mass casual leave over superannuation age issue

Dimapur, April 12 (EMN): Nagaland In-Service Doctors Association (NIDA) on Tuesday reminded that the association would go ahead with its proposed three-day mass casual leave from April 18 following the expiry of the one-year deadline given by the state government.

NIDA, in a press statement, reiterated that it had scaled down the superannuation age from 65 to 62 years for all medical doctors or administrative roles to maintain uniformity and smooth practical implementation.

The association informed that its demand is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement in 2016 that the retirement age of all government medical doctors in the country would be raised to 65 years due to acute shortage of medical doctors and to retain experienced doctors for a longer period.

It said all the states in the country including neighbouring north-eastern states with ‘similar financial constraints have implemented an increase in the superannuation age of medical doctors’.

‘NIDA’s demand is unique in the sense that it is not the association raising the issue but is based on the PM’s announcement. This announcement was specific for government medical doctors only and for a particular reason i.e. acute shortage of medical doctors. Therefore, other service associations cannot claim similar increase in superannuation age merely citing precedence. In fact, in more than 25 states, where it has been implemented, no such claim has been made by other services,’ it read.

The association also expressed gratitude to Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) for supporting the association during the consultative meet of the stakeholders on March 1 at the chief secretary’s conference hall.

Claiming that the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) had not objected to the increase in the superannuation age of the doctors in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur, where it has a strong presence, NIDA asked ‘why should Naga doctors of Nagaland not get the benefits that the Naga doctors of neighbouring states are getting’. Or is belonging to Nagaland state a disqualification to claim increase in superannuation age? it added.

“As per media reports, the NSF resolved to urge the Nagaland government to maintain status quo with regard to superannuation age of doctors. The Government should decide whether to listen to the student bodies resolution or the Hon’ble PM’s announcement,” it continued.