Longrangty Longchar
Dimapur | July 8
The issue of superannuation in Nagaland appears to be heading into a storm with the Nagaland Legislative Assembly introducing a bill on Superannuation in the current Assembly. The bill, Nagaland Retirement from Public Employment (Second Amendment) Bill, 2009 will be discussed in the NLA tomorrow which will decide, according to sources, the fate of about 14,000 state government employees who will be affected by the out come of the ongoing NLA session. Home Minister, Imkong L Imchen disclosed this evening that the bill will, hopefully, be passed successfully in the legislative assembly. The bill on superannuation envisages the retirement age of a government employee at 35 years of service or attaining 60 years of age, whichever is earlier. Not many government employees have welcomed the move.
The newly formed Nagaland Senior Government Servant/Employed Welfare Association (NSGEWA) today warned that it is ready to go even to the Supreme Court of India if the bill is passed in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. “We are simply fighting for our right...our demand is retirement only when we attain the age of 60 and not by length of service,” chairman of NSGEWA, Roko Pier informed through the phone this evening. “If the current act is passed, then it should apply only to the younger generation…” The NSGEWA – formed on July 2 — is threatening that it is ready to go to the court to receive a stay order on the Act on superannuation if passed by the Legislative Assembly.
Roko Pier also informed that if the present bill is passed by the government then approximately 14,000 state government employees in 40 departments in Nagaland would be affected, including 53 senior government officials from the Secretariat alone - one in the rank of secretary in the Finance department and three additional secretaries. An approximate 6,000 state government employees would be retired by this year alone.
Home Minister Imkong L Imchen said that a “substantial number in terms of thousands” will be affected and will be given releasing order from the department once the bill is made into an act.
Nonetheless, NSGEWA chairman, Roko Pier said that they are simply fighting for their rights in demanding 60 years of retirement age like their counterparts in other parts of the country. Besides, the NSGEWA informed that it has resolved - during a meeting on July 6 - to seek legal remedy incase the bill is passed in the assembly session. “…after thorough discussion and deliberations of the issues ahead of the Association, the House decided to seek legal remedy, at all cost, in the event of passing the proposed Bill. The bill is expected to be discussed in the Assembly on July 8 and whatever the outcome might be, reactions from some quarters is surely expected.
