Morung File Photo
Morung Express News
Kohima | October 7
Into the seventh day of its indefinite hunger strike, the All Nagaland Ad-hoc Teachers’ Group (ANATG-2015) called off its agitation on Friday evening following a meeting with the state government officials earlier in the day.
The meeting which lasted for about 6 hours was held between Government of Nagaland headed by the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Commissioner & Secretary, central and core committee members of ANATG- 2015 in the presence of the All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association (ANSTA) members.
With the parties coming to a resolution on 5-points, ANATG has agreed to immediately call off their agitation and hunger strike.
Among the agreed points was the setting up of a High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by the Principal Secretary or Commissioner & Secretary within 15 days. The HPC will then submit its recommendation by June 2023, and thereafter take up the issue to resolve the service regulation matter of ANATG-2015 batch within December 2023.
Service extension for the ad-hoc teachers would also continue till the matter is resolved. However, it was clearly stated that this dispensation would not apply to proxy and untrained teachers.
Grant of 7th Central Pay Commission (RoP) will be based on the recommendation of the HPC while ANATG- 2015 batch and ANTSA members will be given opportunity to present their case before the HPC and, the HPC shall have a review meeting every two months.
Addressing media persons after the meeting, ANATG spokesperson Bendangtemsu Ozukum said “today’s meeting was successful and that’s the reason why we have called off our agitation with the general consensus of the members.”
He informed that the meeting has agreed upon 5-points which are more to do with regularisation process, and also stated that the ANATG had earlier rejected the setting up of HPC as it was rather taking too long for formation of HPC.
“Today we have managed to pull out one month’s time to 15 days time frame for the setting up of HPC,” stated Ozukum adding that, “the good thing about HPC is the review meeting every two months.”
“Basing on the agreement we had today, the ANATG-2015 batch and ANSTA members will be given opportunity to present their case before the HPC” informed Ozukum.
It may be mentioned that ANATG-2015 had began a sit-in protest on September 26 demanding service regularisation, and later to indefinite hunger strike on September 30 in the face of perceived unconcern from the state government.
In the course of the agitation, during a meeting held on September 29 between state government officials and ANATG representatives, the general members had out rightly rejected the proposal of setting up of HPC in a month’s time.
Subsequently, ANTAG wrote to the Chief Minister on October 3 rejecting the setting up of HPC and seeking his intervention.
