Nagaland government revises pay scale of ad hoc teachers

Considering the plight of the ad hoc teachers, the Nagaland Government on September 27 decided to revise the pay scale.

Notably, the government claimed that the pay was revised despite the financial constraints faced by the state.

Earlier on September 26, as many as 1,166 govt ad hoc teachers took to the street to agitate demanding regularisation of service in Nagaland.

The All Nagaland Ad hoc Teachers Group (ANATG)-2015 Batch on September 26 resumed its agitation demanding immediate service regularisation.

The ANATG-2015 Batch with 1,166 members from different government schools in the state converged at Naga Solidarity Park and held a rally at the State Civil Secretariat holding placards and banners demanding service regularisation.

However, on regularisation of the services, the Government informed that regularisation of services of Adhoc teachers can only be considered with directions from the Supreme Court and High Court.

Meanwhile, Nagaland Government Advisor for School Education and MLA K T Sukhalu told the media that the government and the department are concerned about the ad hoc teachers' service regularisation.

The department is looking into it and will try and resolve the matter at the earliest, said Sukhalu.

Therefore, all concerned are asked not to resort to any kind of agitation in this regard and resume their duties with immediate effect. It is made known to all teachers that the period of absence will be treated as Dies-non and the principle of No Work, No Pay will be imposed.

Further, disciplinary action will be initiated against the employees as per the Nagaland Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1968.

On September 26 hundreds of teachers under the banner of All Nagaland Ad hoc Teacher’s Group 2015 hit the streets of Kohima demanding early solutions to the long pending issue of regularisation of their services.

The ad hoc teachers said that their agitation will continue till the demands are met.

The same batch of teachers had protested for almost a month demanding for regularisation of their service in the year 2018 however, the agitation was put on suspension following the appeasement policy of the state government by providing the 6th revision of pay to the Ad hoc teachers.

Briefing media persons before the rally, ANATG-2015 Batch spokesperson Bendandgtemsu Ozukum said they comprise of graduate teachers, primary teachers, drawing teachers and other vocational teachers who have been appointed on an ad hoc basis against the sanctioned posts from the year 1994 to 2012.

As per the School Education Department’s norms for service regularisation, the departmental suitability test, verification of documents and interviews were conducted by the government/department on May 20 and 22, 2017, he said.

However, he claimed that even after the fulfilment of all the criteria, the matter of regularisation was not considered.

Ozukum said that ANATG had decided to start the agitation on September 8 but accepting the request of the Principal Director of Education Department for 20-days to look into their demand, they cancelled the agitation.