After members of ANATG-2015 batch rejected the proposal (to form a High Powered Committee) arrived at a joint meeting between ANATG office bearers and Department of School Education (DoSE) in presence of ANSTA on Friday, the agitation has reached a stalemate as ANATG continued its indefinite hunger-strike till regularisation of their service.
Asked for comment on the claim made by one of the agitating teachers of ANATG-2015 that they were appointed under the department’s recruitment policy, an officer in DoSE maintained that the agitating teachers were appointed on ad-hoc basis and not recruited under the department’s recruitment policy.
The officer further opined that the agitating ANATG-2015 teachers were probably confused between “regularization and recruitment”. He explained that the suitability test was conducted for regularisation of services but that the process had to be halted because the court during the period issued an order banning all ad hoc/contract employees from being regularized. The officer also admitted that ANATG-2015 were appointed to various posts without advertisement or recruitment process.
It may be mentioned that ACAUT Nagaland had filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench in 2017 against ban on appointments on contract and ad-hoc basis and to which the court issued its order on 2018. However the court in 2019 allowed the state government plea for clearing backlog cases based as per 2008 criteria prior to the ban as per Office Memorandum(OM) on June 6, 2016.
The officer in the department admitted that posts to which appointments were made to ANATG-2015 employees were not advertised. It was disclosed that ad-hoc teachers were appointed on the strength of connections with influential sections.
The officer explained that had the ad hoc teachers been appointed through recruitment policy, then the current issue would not have arisen. The officer cited the case of teachers appointed under RMSA and SSA who were selected in 2010 and 2013 but who could be absorbed into the service after very long time.
The officer informed that the process of regularization takes time however regretted that ANATG demanded immediate regularization which the government does not function that way.
ANATG-2015 has thrown the ball in the chief minister’s court to decided on their demands but have made it clear that nothing short of regularisation of their services will be acceptable.
The backdoor appointment is also rampant in other departments and this is the consequence of the ‘Khushi-Khushi’ syndrome indulged to by politicians and bureaucrats with the ‘favoured’ ultimately facing the brunt.
ANATG hunger strike enters 10th day
The ongoing indefinite hunger strike called by ANATG-2015 batch in Kohima continued for a 10th consecutive day on Wednesday with no sign of resolution to the impasse between group and the Department of School Education (DoSE) on service regularisation.
ANATG member Bendangtemsu Ozuküm said the protesting teachers stayed firm in their demand and was planning to further intensify the agitation as the government was not ready to accept any of the three-point charter of demands placed during Tuesday’s meeting held with adviser School Education, commissioner & secretary, principal director and director School Education.
According to Ozukum, the three-point demand include– (i) Regularisation for ANATG-2015 batch to be on the date the agreement was signed between the two parties, (ii) Seniority to be back dated to when ANATG-2015 batch members were eligible for the suitability test and (iii) State government to give written assurance for service regularisation.
Ozuküm said the group was hoping for an amicable solution, but there has been not positive response from the government.
Meanwhile, four more members– three on Tuesday and one on Wednesday, were rushed to Naga Hospital Authority Kohima on ambulances after some of them collapsed at the protest site, as their health deteriorated owing to prolonged hunger and malnutrition.
One of the members from Kiphire district, after regaining his strength at the hospital, said he tried his best to remain strong for his fellow protestors but his body started behaving otherwise. He said all those on fast were doing their best to encourage each other.
A female teacher from Zunheboto, who was also hospitalised, said she had completely skipped solid food for the past few days. She hoped that to get better soon and re-join her friends at the protest site.