RPP said that the desperate move of the government by issuing notifications on May 18 this year for Amendments in the NLA secretariat (recruitment and conditions of service) Rules,1999 to fit the present incumbent was highly questionable and uncalled for.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Friday has said that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government’s decision to extend the service of PJ Anthony (Retd) as principal secretary under the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) secretariat was a desperate attempt to further subvert the power and authority of an established system.
Questioning the UDA government and the NLA speaker on the series of service extension granted to the present principal secretary even after his retirement from government service, RPP said he was first appointed as commissioner and secretary for two years w.e.f from June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2022 on contract basis and then to the present post of principal secretary (contractual) w.e.f June 1,2022 .
It may be recalled that Dr PJ Anthony joined the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) secretariat as secretary (deputation) w.e.f January 2, 2020 till his retirement from regular service on May 31, 2020. “Does this means that the government of the day does not trust the capabilities of its own officers or was it abuse of public office for private gain? Has the extension not deprived the other employees of their rights?” questioned RPP.
It also added that the malicious intention with which cadre post of secretary of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) was upgraded as commissioner and secretary on contract basis and then to principal secretary was clear and condemnable.
RPP also said that the desperate move of the government by issuing notifications on May 18 this year for Amendments in the NLA secretariat (recruitment and conditions of service) Rules,1999 to fit the present incumbent was highly questionable and uncalled for.
The allegation of bypassing the Cadre Review Committee/Service Rules Amendment Committee was serious in nature and needs to be answered by the government and incidentally, the UDA government has also been recently in news for restructuring of cadre post of additional secretary of the same secretariat, which was strike down and set aside by the Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court, it said.
Stating that this system of regularly tinkering with the appointment and tenure norms of the secretariat with malafide intentions was harmful for the good governance system, RPP also added that by extending the service through an amendment, it has set a bad precedence where the employees might do anything to please the bosses for extensions.
This comes at a time when the credibility of many State establishments is at all-time low. In this regard, the Rising People’s Party (RPP) has demanded that the appointment of principal secretary of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) secretariat be nullified and the post terminated by bringing in capable and eligible officers to head the secretariat.
“There is no reason why the post should not be filled up from amongst the eligible persons who are serving officers in the secretariat”, it added. RPP further said that the NLA speaker, Sharingain Longkumer, should uphold trust, propriety, and ethics in public life instead of turning a “deaf ear” to the sentiments of the people. What is otherwise clear is that Government functions only with vested interest and there is no common welfare for the well-being of all its citizens.