NASSA opposes service extension to contractual commr. & secy NLA

Nagaland Assembly Secretariat Staff Association (NASSA)/Joint Action Committee said it outrightly opposed the service extension of incumbent NLA commissioner and secretary (on contract basis) Dr. P.J. Antony and also the “arbitrary Amendment” of Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat (Recruitment and Conditions of Service 3rd Amendment) Rules 2022.
In statement, NASSA president Pagai Ndang and general secretary Talirenla said that the association after deliberation on the matter during its emergency general body meeting on May 23 empowered NASSA to constitute a Joint Action Committee to address the issues and to take immediate remedial action.
NASSA said Antony was appointed on deputation for a period of five months w.e.f. 02.01.2020 as NLA secretary till he retired May 31, 2020. However, they said he was re-appointed with the approval of the Cabinet as commissioner & secretary (on contract basis) by upgrading the cadre post of secretary for a period of two years w.e.f. June 1, 2020-May 31, 2022 to head the administration of the NLA secretariat.
Following, Antony’s re-appointment, NASSA said a representation was submitted on June 23 23, 2020 opposing the appointment of a retired government servant, in violation of the Government Office Memorandum (vide AR-5/ASSO/98, dated 15th March 2012).
Since the contract service of the incumbent was due to expire on May 31, 2022, NASSA said it had submitted a representation on April 21, 2022 to NLA Speaker requesting the latter not to further extend his service as the administrative head, since the senior most additional secretary in the regular cadre had already fulfilled its eligibility criteria to head the administration.
However, despite several representations to the NLA Speaker, NASSA said the Speaker turned a deaf ear to the demand of the association and instead moved the file recommending for service extension of the present incumbent from his level hurting the sentiments of the NASSA.
To make the matter worse, NASSA said a notification dated May 18, 2022 was circulated on May 21, 2022, notifying the Amendment of the Service Rules of the NLAS. Upon going through the contents of the notification, NASSA said they noticed that the existing rules and provisions were replaced and altered and inserted certain provisions in the existing rules and severe procedural lapses were observed in the Amendment of the Service Rules.
NASSA claimed that the whole process of Amendment was done without consulting the Cadre Review Committee/Service Rules Amendment Committee and without considering the interest of all the stakeholders. One serious observation made in the amended rule was the insertion of a provision to extend the service of a Superannuated Officer till the age of 65 years, which NASSA said was totally against the existing policy of the state government with regard to the retirement policies. “This kind of arbitrary action is devoid of natural justice and administrative fair play,” NASSA stated, alleging that the alteration to the existing service rules were done not with the intention of improvement but to suit the interest of the present incumbent, who was due to end his contract engagement on May 31.
Alarmed by the Amendment notification, NASSA said an emergency meeting was held on May 23 and after thorough deliberations and clarifications resolved to strongly oppose the service extension of the retired officer and to repudiate the Amendment notification.
Failing to fulfil the demands, the association warned of resorting to its own course of action as deemed proper. NASSA, therefore, urged upon all right-thinking citizens to condemn such arbitrary action which can create a harmful precedence under any establishment of the Government of Nagaland. “Such kind of short-sightedness and hasty decision by intellectual authority is questionable,” it added.