RTI activists claim PHED appointed 829 staff through ‘departmental screening committee’

DIMAPUR — Three Kohima-based RTI activists have claimed that the Nagaland Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) has appointed 829 Operation and Maintenance (O&M) staff during the period from Nov. 1, 2022 to May 1, 2023, through the ‘Departmental Screening Committee.’

Citing information received under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the activists – Odi Jamir, Longbok Lemtur and ST Yapang Lkr – disclosed that the O&M staff, previously known as work-charge employees, were appointed based on a letter from the Deputy Secretary, PHED, to the Chief Engineer, Sanitation and Water and Sanitation Support Organisation (WSSO) on Oct. 19, 2022.

As per the activists, the RTI response stated that the Oct. 2022 letter had communicated ‘administrative approval’ to fill up vacancies of O&M staff in the department. The department however clarified that “there was no directive that O&M post should be advertised, rather the recruitment process to be conducted by the Departmental Screening Committee.”

The RTI response, copies of which were issued to the media, also stated that the pay and allowances for the O&M staff were the same as that of work-charge employees.

In this connection, the activists recommended adherence to “formal and proper procedure for future selection” of employees.

“This time around in the PHED those who are in ITI taking up plumber training needs to be granted opportunities and privileges or a small percentage of employment sector positions (should be) reserved for them,” they added.