Dimapur, February 15 (MExN): Lauding the appointment of the NSSB Chairperson and Secretary on the February 14, the Rising People’s Party stated that the step was as a victory for the student community.
In a press release on Tuesday, the RPP highlighted the years of struggle in constituting the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB).
It said that in 2016, the ACAUT movement raised the issue with the state government followed by the PSAN and the NSF which prevailed upon the Rio government to set up the body in 2020. Thus, in July 2020, the government issued a notification constituting the NSSB for recruitment of Group-C posts in the government.
However, close to a year later, the NSSB was not functionalized and instead, on July 16, 2021, “the state government issued a contrary notification stating that 1,576 vacant posts under 76 departments, among other things, should be filled up under Departmental Exams.”
Since the state government back-tracked on its commitment to functionalize the NSSB, the RPP knocked on the doors of the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench and a PIL was filed. On September 1, 2021 Judges Songkhupchung Serto and S Hukato admitted the PIL submission and also ruled that the July 16, 2021 “OM shall remain suspended till the returnable date.”Later on, Judge Kakheto Sema dwelt on the case as well, the RPP stated.
In the meantime, it said that pressure was piling upon the state government from different quarters and on September 3, 2021, the NSF threatened democratic agitation against the state government. “Responding to the NSF ultimatum, the government issued a notification on October 4, 2021 advertising the posts of Chairperson and Secretary of the NSSB.” The RPP also met with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on September 21, 2021 and apprised him on the issue, but “nothing happened for more than 4 months,” it said.
“Though the High Court was in favour of settling the case without delay, the government’s counsel kept appealing against such on one pretext or the other,” the release stated, adding that this led to the Judges issuing an ultimatum to the state government “to come with instruction on the next date, that is, February 16, 2022, as to when the board would be constituted” or else “this court would be compelled to issue the necessary order or direction for constituting the board within a specific period of time.”
“Left with no option, on February 14, 2022 the government issued a notification appointing the Chairperson and Secretary of NSSB,” it added.
Nevertheless, the RPP expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for appointing the Chairperson and Secretary of NSSB.
Further, it also stated that the public in general and the student community in particular should be grateful that we have public-spirited Judges who stood for the young people, and for the “dreams and aspirations of the people of Nagaland, specially, the young people who are still unemployed.”
