EMN
DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 6
The Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) has said it is saddened to discover that the government’s Reservation Policy for the backward/least representative tribes had never been implemented ‘in spirit’ since its inception.
Lamenting that the policy remained only in the paper as an act to please the poor, the ENSF, in a release issued by its general secretary Honang M Jessuhu, stated that the very state code, service rules, recruitment/appointment procedures adopted or notified by the government was only made enforceable against the six backward tribes. “However, such governmental memo/code/notification/ procedures are being manipulated at the bureaucratic level whereby the six backward tribes of Eastern Nagaland are being discriminated,” it said adding that very basic fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution of India are not being safeguarded here in the State.
Stating that the least representative communities in the State are at stake on account of cruelty and injustice delivered for the past 4-5 decades, the ENSF, while seeking equality through justice, demanded for SIT/High Powered Committee in unearthing the discrimination and deprivation faced by its people on account of bureaucratic and political manipulation.
HISTORICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY TREND IN THE STATE: The First 25% reservation policy for the backward tribes of the state was notified for the first time vide letter No. AR-8/9/76 Dated Kohima, the 11th Jan 1977. Later in the year 1979, it was enhanced to 33% from 25% which is to remain till 1987. However, in the year 2001, the 20 years of experience had revealed that many of the Backward Tribes were not adequately benefited as were intended by this policy rather with the introduction of 2 point roster system the people of the six backward were further discriminated. The same notification had extended the reservation to technical posts and the special reservation policy for grade IV posts was inculcated stating that:
In the case of grade IV posts, it has been decided that the reservations for BT shall be applicable only to recruitment made to this category of posts in the Secretariat, Directorates and the state level offices and shall not apply to recruitments made in the district level Offices. Than what percentage of employees from the eastern sector represents at such level today? And since the reservation is not applicable in the district level, 100% of job reservation should be filled by the local inhabitant tribe/tribes at the respected district but this was never followed with regard to grade IV appointments rather it was being filled by non resident that seldom come to office to work.
The reservation of the BT can be ensured only when recruitments are made in according to the prescribed procedures and the roster is scrupulously maintained by each department separately for each category of post. The very purpose of reservations for Backward Tribes will be defected if adhoc/casual appointments are in violation of existing instructions and the later sought to be regularised. Therefore, in compliance to this very notification, all sorts of political backdoor appointment should be banned instead all the vacancies should be advertised for mass consumption.
It was stated that the revised policy for the reservation posts for the Backward Tribes should be strictly and scrupulously followed and enforced by all recruiting authorities with immediate effect. As per the government directive all HODs were requested to bring the contents of OM to the notice of all their district/subordinate offices for compliance. In case any difficulty is felt by any Department in understanding/implementing the provisions of the revised reservation Policy for BT, they were requested to take up the matter with the Reservation Cell of the department for clarification along with relevant records.
Later in the year 2002, the Government Office Memorandum were issued to all the department for maintenance of Register for effective implementation of reservation for Backward Tribes and yearly implementation reports were to be submitted.
In the year 2006, the state government had passed a notification which states that the Maintenance of reservation for the backward tribes were delegated to the NPSC from P & AR ( Reservation Cell) where the department were to sent its requisition directly to the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC)so as to avoid duplication and anomalies which have risen in some cases.
The Government’s Notification vide letter No-RCBT-5/87(Pt-II) dated Kohima the 23rd July 2008 had adopted 200 point roasters policy and 25% job reservation were exclusively maintained and protected for the 6 (six) eastern Backward Tribes of Nagaland. This very notification also states that a separate Register for effective implementation of reservation for the Backward Tribes should be maintained by all the departments. Further, a quarterly report is to be submitted to the Department of the Under Developed Areas (DUDA) of the implementation of the policy.
The Governor of Nagaland, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 16(4) of the Constitution of India, had directed that 25% of all categories, both Gazetted and non-gazetted posts under the Government of Nagaland shall be reserved for the persons belonging to the 6 (six) Eastern backward tribes (Konyak, Sangtam, Yimchungru, Chang, Phom and Khiamniungan) of Nagaland in the four districts of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire. However, such verdict had remained just as a Midway joke.
In accordance to the Office Memorandum of Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department (Administrative Reforms Branch) Government of Nagaland vide No. RCBT-5/87 (Pt-II) dated, Kohima, the 23rd July 2008, had once again reassured the notification/office memorandum with regard to special provision in the recruitment of Grade IV post.
The latest Governmental Notification on reservation for the backward tribes were issued vide notification No. RCBT-5/87 (Pt-II) dated Kohima, the 14th April, 2014 directing all the departments to maintain a separate Register for effective implementation of the reservation for the Backward Tribes.
In spite of subsequent/consecutive Government’s notification and Policy on reservation for the backward tribes of Nagaland, numerous and unaccounted casual/backdoor appointment in all the departments had deprived the backwards tribes of the state in acquiring its due shares. In this regard, the Federation ask the state government to nullify all appointment (all Grade) made as it has deprived the Eastern Nagas in securing its due shares in the field of employment.
Further, the federation states that the respective legislators in charge of the concern departments, Commissioners and Secretaries, and the Directors should be answerable to such irregularities and anomalies. The politician and bureaucrats shall be held solely responsible for such discrepancies if created and arises.
It is also learnt that numerous backdoor/casual appointment were being conducted over ruling the governmental policies and notification which was established by the law of the land in safeguarding the backward tribes of the state.
Therefore, in pursuance of all the established act and in order to safeguard the interest of the backward tribes in the state, the Federation declares the following statement/declaration which should be strictly adhered by all the 60 legislators and all the bureaucrats as final and binding.
: In pursuance to the Government’s Notification vide letter No-RCBT-5/87(Pt-II) dated Kohima the 23rd July 2008, all the departments in the state should submit the report of appointment made and register of reservation so maintained for the BTs to the Department of Under Developed Areas (DUDA) by 30th Nov 2014. DUDA department is reminded to arrange a Monitoring cell in thorough analysing the findings immediate with a date of Notification.
: 25% Job reservation should be strictly adhered in all grade/class of appointment/recruitment. The same yard stick should be applied in the field of departmental promotion and recruitment.
All vacancy arising in any department should be advertised so as to strictly check the backdoor appointment and maintain the reservation policy of the state.
Any vacancies arising at the district level (All Grade) under any departments shall be filled by the local inhabitant tribe/tribes. All the HODs and the concern authority are asked to be cautious and their negligence and ignorant shall not be considered. All concern legislators are required to be cautious of it so as to avoid unnecessary confrontation with the Federation.
While on the verge of retirement, No employees from the four eastern districts of Nagaland should be transferred out. If any department had done so, then it should be rectified before it is brought to light to the Federation.
In case of promotions and transfer from the four Eastern districts, the reliever should be filled by the incumbent tribe/tribes of the respective districts.
: Any employees (all Grade) posted in the four eastern districts and are found absent for more than 6 months without valid reason should either be suspended or be terminated. Such corrupted employees should not be retained in any of the 4 eastern districts of Nagaland.
25% reservation should be maintained in all the appointment made at the secretariat, Directorate and other state level offices.
In this regard, the Federation hereby empowers and directs all its federating units to conduct thorough investigation in all the departments within its respective jurisdiction. The respective Deputy Commissioners and the concern HODs in the four eastern districts are requested to extend their cooperation to the respective student’s body within its administrative jurisdictions. With regard to the special provision enlisted under government’s notification on the recruitment of grade IV, the Federation has empowered the Eastern Nagaland Students’ Union Kohima (ENSUK) to collect all information with regard to the appointment of grade IV post in all the Directorate and state level offices including the secretariat.
For further deliberation on the issue, the Federation shall convent emergency meeting on 15th Nov 2014 and all the Federating Presidents are requested to come mentally prepared.
