Against the backdrop of the All Nagaland School Teacher’s Association (ANSTA) and Nagaland Government Higher Secondary Schools’ Employee Association (NGHSSEA) calling for a pen-down strike due to non-payment of salaries, Rising People’s Party (RPP) has accused the Department of School Education (DoSE) of resorting to “dirty tricks to intimidate the teachers” by issuing a notification on September 25 in which Rule 25 of the Nagaland Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1968 was highlighted.
In a statement, RPP said “the absolutely inept, thoroughly unprofessional, and highly mismanaged DoSE was now misusing Rule 25 of the Nagaland Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1968, to strip the teachers of their last dignity, which was uncalled for and unethical”. The party also demanded to know which “highly-qualified officer” in DoSE felt the need to “input” this highly objectionable and laughable notification signed by the principal director.
RPP wondered as to whether the notification against aggrieved teachers was some sort of Teachers’ Day award and also wanted to know whether any attempt had been made by DoSE to study and understand to what extent late/irregular payment of salaries affected the teaching and learning process in government schools?
Instead of trying to resolve the issue through meaningful engagement and drastic overhaul of the department, RPP said the latest notification ordering the teachers not to make “Any communication with the press” nor “Call a public meeting to discuss their conditions” was highly insensitive and condemnable.
RPP demanded that DoSE should immediately withdraw the notification as demanding salary, which was rightfully theirs, was not “prejudicial to the interest and sovereignty of India” as pointed out by the notification. RPP also observed that year after year, government teachers were left to beg the state government to release their salaries and for which teachers’ agitation has become the order of the day.
While acknowledging that government schools produced nil results year after year, RPP also questioned that when the teachers were harassed non-stop due to non-release of salaries, how are they supposed to put their minds and souls into their profession?
Further, RPP asked whether officers and non-teaching staff of the directorate and district offices got their salaries on time? If yes, then RPP asked why were teachers given step motherly treatment and not paid salaries on time?
The party also claimed that sources in the directorate revealed that teachers will not be paid salaries for September or for the next six months.
As salary component of government employees were budgeted, RPP said the question of non-payment of salaries did not arise unless funds were siphoned off. As the government had ample discretionary funds at its disposal, RPP asked what was stopping the state government from paying the salaries of teachers?
The RPP reminded DoSE that there were legal consequences for delayed/non-payment of salaries and wages, as per the Supreme Court’s observation.