• Alleges arbitrary amendment of Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat Rules
• Joint Action Committee constituted
Kohima, May 30 (MExN): The Nagaland Assembly Secretariat Staff Association (NASSA)/Joint Action Committee have opposed the service extension of Dr PJ Antony, Commissioner and Secretary (on contract basis) of the NLA and the arbitrary Amendment of NLA Service Rules.
NASSA, President Pagai Ndang and General Secretary, Talirenla in a press release stated the association held an emergency general body meeting on May 23, 2022 in the Conference Hall, Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Secretariat to discuss issues pertaining to the service extension of Dr PJ Antony, Commissioner & Secretary (on contract basis), Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat and the arbitrary amendment of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat (Recruitment and Conditions of Service 3rd Amendment) Rules 2022.
In the meeting, the house empowered NASSA to constitute a Joint Action Committee to address these issues and to take immediate remedial action as deemed proper, it stated.
Meanwhile, the association has highlighted that the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat requisitioned the post of Secretary from the Lok Sabha Secretariat. ‘Subsequently, Dr P J Antony was appointed on deputation for a period of five months w.e.f. 02.01.2020 and was serving as Secretary, Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat till he retired from the regular service on 31.05.2020.’
“However,” NASSA alleged that, “he was re-appointed by the State Government with the approval of the Cabinet as Commissioner & Secretary (on contract basis) by upgrading the cadre post of the Secretary for a period of 2 years w.e.f., 01.06.2020-31.05.2022 to head the administration of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat after he had retired from the regular service as Secretary.”
It said that “after the re-appointment of Dr PJ Antony (on contract basis), the NASSA submitted a representation on June 23, 2020 opposing the appointment of a retired government servant, as the same violates the Government Office Memorandum vide AR-5/ASSO/98, dated March 15, 2012 and also such appointment of the retired government servant effects the rights of the sub-ordinate officers and lowers the morale and efficiency of the employees.”
As per the NASSA statement, “As the contract service of the present incumbent was due to be expired on 31.05.2022, the Association had submitted the Representation dated 21.04.2022 to the Speaker NLA requesting him not to further extend his service as the Administrative Head of the establishment, since the senior most Additional Secretary in the regular cadre had already fulfilled its eligibility criteria to head the Administration.”
The Association had also met the Speaker in his Office Chamber on May 6, 2022 in this regard, it stated adding, “Reiterating the first Memo, the Association had again submitted Representation dated 09.05.2022.” However, inspite of several representations served to the Speaker, he 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, it added.
“To make the matter worse,” NASSA said, “a Notification dated 18th May 2022 was circulated on 21st May 2022. The Notification was on the Amendment of the Service Rules of the NLAS. On going through the contents of the notification it was 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.”
It further alleged 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 is the insertion of a provision to extend the service of a Superannuated Officer till the age of 65 years which is 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,” the NASSA condemned.
It stated that “the alteration to the existing Service Rules appears to have done not with the intention of improvement but to suit the interest of the present incumbent, Commissioner & Secretary (on contract basis) of the NLAS, who is due to end his contract engagement on 31.05.2022.”
“Alarmed by the Amendment Notification dated 18th May, 2022,” NASSA said that it had an emergency meeting on May 23, 2022 where after thorough deliberations and clarifications resolved to strongly oppose the service extension of the retired officer and to repudiate the Amendment Notification.
Meanwhile, the Association has “resolved to resort to its own course of action as deemed proper”. It also added that NASSA expects all right-thinking citizens to “criticize such arbitrary action as this 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.”
