Correspondent
Kohima, December 5
The Nagaland Secretariat Service Association (NSSA) resumed its second phase of agitation in the form of pen down strike and would continue till Saturday.
Talking to reporters at its office in Secretariat this afternoon, NSSA president Imti Longchar and Advisor Heirang Lungalang said that they resorted to agitation as the state government has failed to fulfill their four-point charter of demand.
The demands include promotion of NSS cadre members as recommended by the Departmental Promotion Committee as per the existing Rules of Executive Business; streamlining of the administrative functioning of Law Department and Planning & Coordination Department; restoration of cadre post utilized by Home Department and stopping deputation of non-cadre officers to the Secretariat as assured by the Government.
Imti said that the state government has been giving assurance upon assurance to fulfill the charter of demand but has failed to fulfill it.
Supplementing the president, Lungalang said that on May 30 last, the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) cleared the promotions and submitted to the Governor for approval. However, the impasse between the Governor and the State Government over amendment of Rules of Executive Business has delayed the process of approval and now it is already eight months delayed.
He said that a total of 59 officers in the rank of Additional Secretary down to Junior Section officer are due to be promoted, while one of the officers have already retired without being promoted.
Acknowledging that the government through the Chief Secretary has assured that though late, the promotion of officer would be given retrospective effect even if retired, he however said that the delay would be hampering the future generation because at this rate the impasse may continue for years and thus a day may come when there will no NSS cadre officers in the higher ranks.
He revealed that so far 32 officers have retired while another 50 odd would be retiring by next year, and the NSS is concerned of stagnancy in the lower ranks for too long.
He also said that since there is already an existing Rules of Executive Business, the government should consider the promotion matter as per the existing till the new amendments are brought about.
On the restoration of 68 cadre post to Personnel & Administrative, he said this came about because of the regularization of the adhoc appointees made by the politicians. He cited that since the adhoc appointees are not recruited through the NPSC, their service should have been terminated once the tenure of the particular minister ends. However, since the adhoc appointees continue the service and some of them even served for period of years they had to be regularized.
He also stated NSS being cadre post and recruited through NPSC taking the adhoc appointees into NSS cadre would dilute the cadre as some of such senior officers cannot even write a sentence properly. He however informed that the government has decided not to include those appointees into NSS cadres.
So far only 18 posts have been restored while the remaining and utilized by the Home Department, he added.
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On deputation of absorption of non-cadre posts, he said that the NSSA is not against bringing in expertise from other services but even if they are brought on deputation instead of absorbing them they should try to help the state cadres enhance the knowledge.
Besides, he also expressed that officers from outside the state cadres should not be brought in unless the requirement of expertise arises. He feared that absorbing such officers in the state would create problem in creating job avenues for the educated and qualified youths in the state.
“Instead of bring them back home, we should be proud that our Nagas are serving outside the state too,” he said.
He also said that the government should make clear guidelines/ modalities while regulating the services of non-cadre members.
On streamlining the administrative functioning of the Law and Planning Departments, he said that there are specific assignments under the Rules of Executive Business, but it is ignored by the Law officers and they are using powers on their own.
“Those coming from the law department should share their opinions and advise and give expert views but they should not become administrators. Therefore the functioning of law and planning department should be streamlined, he said.
He also said that except for the promotional issue other matters would not be affecting those already in service, but NSSA is concerned for the future generation because it would affect them.
He said Asserting that the demands are being made considering the welfare of future generations and also for delivering good governance, the NSS officials also expressed that if the government fails to fulfill their demands by December 7, it would resort to severe course of agitation.
