Dimapur, August 13 (MExN): The All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association (ANSTA) has reacted to the Nagaland government’s enactment of the retirement law, ‘Nagaland Retirement from Public Employment Act 2009’ (2nd Amendment), which was passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on July 10, 2009, and will come into force on October 31, 2009. Under this Act, the government has decided to apply two yardsticks for retirement from its service – “60 in age or 35 in length” – whichever is earlier.
The ANSTA, in a press release issued by its president, Kepelhoutuo Chusi, has stated that as far as age is concerned every employee is self prepared and knows when and where his turn comes. However, the release added, the government was all set to give a new yardstick of measurement for retirement which was “unusual for government employees to retire more unprepared”, despite the fact that the issue had been debated at length and the state services fall under the state list.
“And, together with this issue the adoption of revision of the 6th Central Pay for its employee was deliberated in the same session of NLA raising a speculation to the affected employees that they would be forced to go out of their jobs and the remaining employees would be rewarded with the 6th Central ROP. Otherwise the policy is well balanced and definitely a social friendly legislation which can be appreciated once the Act is implemented,” the Association stated.
The ANSTA further suggested that “if the government is willing to implement the new rule successfully, the effective date of the 6th Central ROP which is now on the table of consideration should be dated back in such a way that it is inclusive of all the length affected retirees just because the regular interval of decadal revision of pay is also due from the year 2008.”
“If this assurance is given in advance by the government, it will work wonders towards sweeter implementation of the new policy and will cut almost all throats of complaint and murmuring,” the Association added.
