Nagaland Assembly Secretariat Staff Association calls for speedy redressal of NASSA issue

As the Nagaland Assembly Secretariat Staff Association (NASSA) has been protesting against the reappointment of Dr. PJ Antony as the principal secretary and arbitrary framing of certain provisions in the service rules, Nagaland Law Students’ Federation (NLSF) expressed dismay for conferring benefits on the retired officer at the cost of several regular employees.
NLSF demanded that justice should not only be done but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done as, in a vibrant, vigilant and vigorous democracy, there was no place for such miscarriage of justice.
The federation therefore appealed to the authorities concerned for speedy redressal of the issue in hand in the larger interest of NLA secretarial staff in particular and the State in general.
In a press note, NLSF said that creation/upgradation of the post in the State Assembly (NLA) Secretariat was devoid of reasonableness and a mere representation of undue anomalies, which had adversely misplaced regular serving employees of the department.
NLSF said the unwarranted accommodation of incumbent principal secretary was setting a bad precedent, adding that reasonable promotional opportunities should be available in every wing of public service.
While stating that the right to be considered for promotion was a fundamental right, it alleged that this very right of the serving employees under the concerned establishment was being strangled at the cost of accommodating the incumbent principal secretary.
In the backdrop of facts, NLSF noted that the principal secretary was first brought on deputation for a period of five months to the post of secretary because of the indispensable situation which was “sine qua non” at that point of time.
But the federation said it was unable to comprehend the unreasonable approach of upgrading the post of secretary to the post of commissioner & secretary, which was made personnel, when the regular serving cadre had already fulfilled the eligibility criteria to head the administration and there was no further need to accommodate extraneous arrangement.
On the amendment of Nagaland Assembly Secretariat (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1999 given effect by the May 18, 2022 notification, NSF mentioned that it was a settled proposition of law that amendment of rules must not be arbitrary and also not contrary to the very purpose of regulation.
Hence, it averred that it was inescapable that the re-appointment followed by post creation effectuated by the amendment of the rules was a sign of arbitrariness.