Nagaland Lokayukta: Consultation on November 20

Dimapur, Nov. 18 (EMN): After the suspension of its three-day protest – demanding implementation of Lokayukta in Nagaland – the committee spearheading the agitation has informed about the state government’s invitation to the agitators to a meeting on Nov. 20 “for further consultation with the standing committee and introduction of the Lokayukta Bill in the winter assembly session summoned by the governor on 14th Dec. 2017.” A press release from the Public Coordination Committee (PCC) on Saturday stated that it had decided to call off the protest “in response to the gentlemanly assurance given by the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues on 17th November 2017 to initiate the process of setting up Lokayukta by inviting the PCC for a meeting on November 20”. According to the statement, the chief minister also assured that the cabinet would 'sit within this month to take a decision regarding revocation of 26th October 2017 office memorandum, which removed class-III posts from the purview of NPSC, after further consultation with the PCC’. The PCC statement claimed it had demanded that the chief minister keep in abeyance the ‘26th Oct. OM as some departments have already started advertising grade-III posts which were erstwhile under the purview of NPSC’. It asserted that till said office memorandum of October 26 was revoked, the committee would not allow conduct of departmental exams. “...and in the event of any untoward incident, the PCC shall not be accountable”. It went on to inform that “deliberations were made on the demands such as reduction of NPSC interview marks from the current 75 to 50, setting maximum and minimum benchmarks in the interviews, declaration of answer keys in all stages of examinations conducted by NPSC, appointing persons from IAS/IPS/NCS background as NPSC members, amendment of August 3rd 1995 OM so as to pave way for the NPSC to declare waiting list, written and interview marks on the day of result declaration”. It claimed that the ‘stated points’ were ‘firmly’ supported by the cabinet ministers present in the meeting’. “The PCC has been mandated to ensure that the united voice of the Nagas against corruption reached its logical conclusion. We appreciate the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues to agree in principle on the negotiated terms to be materialized within the month of November 2017. The PCC once again appeals to its units, partnering organizations and volunteers to wait for a positive outcome within this given timeframe after which the second phase of intensified agitation will begin”.