KOHIMA, JUNE 19 (MExN): The Nagaland Law Students' Federation (NLSF) has joined the wave of criticism against the service extension and re-appointment of Dr PJ Antony as Principal Secretary, Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat. According to the NLSF, the re-appointment of the retired bureaucrat to a higher grade post, created solely for the purpose, was an arbitrary act and devoid of logic.
It acknowledged that Antony’s first appointment as Secretary (on deputation) for a period of 5 months was compelled by the situation prevailing “at that point of time.” However, it held that the act of upgrading the post of Secretary to Commissioner & Secretary was unreasonable under the present circumstance when there are “regular serving cadre” fulfilling the criteria.
While stating that there was no need to “accommodate an extraneous arrangement, it said upgrading the post of Secretary to accommodate Antony was devoid of reasonableness and “nothing but a mere representation of undue anomalies.” According to the NLSF, it has not only come at the cost of the regular employees serving in the Assembly Secretariat but has also set a bad precedent.
It added, “Reasonable promotional opportunities should be available in every wing of public service. The right to be considered for promotion is a fundamental right and this very right of the serving employees under the establishment concerned is being strangled at the cost of accommodating the incumbent Principal Secretary.”
Drawing attention to the amendment of the Rules of 1999 (Notification dated 18.5.2022), it maintained that, as per the law, the process of amending rules must not be arbitrary and “also not be contrary to the very purpose of regulation.” On the other hand, the NLSF said that the very act of re-appointment followed by post creation is a sign of arbitrariness.
“Mention may be made that in the Rules of 1999, the highest post is the post of Secretary but the post of Commissioner & Secretary was upgraded and made personal to the incumbent,” it said.
Expressing dismay at what it implied was conferring of benefits on a retired officer at the cost of regular employees, it said, “Justice should not only be done but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done as in a vibrant, vigilant and vigorous democracy, there is no place for such miscarriage of justice. Therefore, the NLSF appeal the concerned authorities for speedy redressal of the issue at hand for the larger interest of the NLA Secretarial Staff in particular and the State in general.”
