Our Correspondent
Kohima | November 16
Tussle over the superannuation issue continues as the State Cabinet in yesterday’s meeting decided to increased the age of retirement from 57 to 60 years, while the NSF in a quick response issued 14 days ultimatum today to the State government to fulfill its demand of maintaining 33 years service length, failing which the students will take it own course of action. The ultimatum expires on November 31. Besides, increasing the retirement age of the State government employees from 57 to 60 years, the Cabinet also decided to lift blanket ban on creation of post but all proposals for creation of posts will go through the existing prescribed procedures.
NSF President, Imchatoba Imchen told the media this evening that Thursday’s Cabinet decision was arrived at without the Federation’s knowledge and termed the resolution as going against the interest of Naga students.
Affirming that the superannuation issue is ‘sensitive and a battle’ for NSF, Imcha vehemently stated that the students will oppose tooth and nail to make the Cabinet decision unworkable and make its demand met. “NSF is to safeguard the future of the students, but government servant are offensive and destructive to students’ future”, Imcha said at a press conference.
The NSF demand is that either the State government enhances the retirement age from 57 to 60 years and maintain 33 years length of service or to maintain the status quo. Since 1991 NSF is against the State government’s policy on superannuation citing that it disrupts the future of the students. Some student leaders had even gone up to the extent of fast unto death, but the State government had thrown their demand into the thin air, Imcha said.
The Cabinet has also decided to increase the maximum age for entry into government service to 30 years for general candidates and 35 years for ST/SC candidates. Age concession for serving government employees will be allowed equal to the number of years they are in service subject to a maximum of 5 years and for physical handicapped another age relaxation up to 10 years will be allowed, the Cabinet resolution also said.
