A high-powered committee (HPC) has been established by the Nagaland government to investigate the demands of 1,666 ad hoc teachers for the regularisation of their employment. The All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers Group (ANATG)-2015 Batch, who was hired to various government schools in the state between 1994 and 2012, have begun an indefinite hunger strike in protest of the regularisation of their employment as of Thursday night. In the presence of the Home Commissioner and representatives from the Department of School Education, the Nagaland Chief Secretary met with the ANATG leaders. According to ANATG President Ruoguotoslie, it was resolved during the meeting that a high-powered committee (HPC) would be formed as soon as possible to investigate the likelihood of their service regularisation within a year. He claimed that the ANATG leaders concurred with the choice and signed it.
The other members, however, rejected it once ANATG leaders told them of the meeting’s decision on Friday night, stating that they would not accept anything else and would instead continue their protest and hunger strike until their demand for service regularisation was satisfied. The ANATG leaders then resolved to keep up the current agitation for the time being and resume talks on Saturday, according to him.
38 ad hoc government employees are all on hunger strike, nine of them women, and other employees are sitting in peaceful protest while calling for service regularisation. Thavaseelan K., the principal director of the Directorate of School Education, claimed on Tuesday that although the members of the ANATG-2015 Batch were appointed to sanctioned positions, they did so “irregularly” and without adhering to the required procedures. The standing order of the Supreme Court and High Court not to regularise any adhoc appointments, he added, places restrictions on the department and the government rather than the department not wanting to assist them in having their service regularised.
