Our Correspondent
Kohima | July 20
Nagaland Senior Government Employees Welfare Association (NSGEWA) today held its first general meeting after the Supreme Court verdict on June 6. The meeting was attended by representatives of the association’s districts units. Addressing Media persons in its office, NSGEWA leaders said the meeting decided to keep their office open to assist members (pensioners) in processing their pension papers especially of those from the rural areas.
They also said a request will be put up to the state government to open special pension cells for affected pensioners. On the Supreme Court’s verdict dismissing the employee’s plea, chairman of the association’s Dimapur unit KV Assumi said the NSGEWA is unable to understand on what ‘circumstance’ the case was lost.
The NSGEWA leaders said they were victimized for not getting any compensation or relief on account of the court verdict. “When a case is lost, there use to be a kind of compensation or relief granted to the loser parties but Supreme Court did not mention any as such in our case,” and termed the court decision’s is solely a ‘one-sided verdict’.
The NSGEWA is not against the Act but while implementing it, government has to provide time frame for implementing pension rules which requires more than 6 months to prepare pension papers. ‘We are very much offended and compelled to go to court for justice,’ said Joint Secretary P Vese. Assumi, who received the Governor’s Merit Award said “we don’t understand the meaning of awarding such certificates” as their service rights were ‘forcibly taken away.’
NSGEWA alleged that the bureaucrats are responsible for not guiding the state government. Had the bureaucrats directed properly, there wouldn’t have been that much problem. “Service rules should not be enforced, if they have to implement this Act,” an NSGEWA leader said. The NSGEWA also reported that they were not paid salary for the past eight months. “As long as we have the victory of honesty, we are not demoralized”, said Vese.
