NSSATA, NRMSATA submit representation to Principal Director
Dimapur, February 9 (MExN): The Nagaland Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers' Association (NSSATA) and the Nagaland Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers' Association (NRMSATA) (batches of 2010 & 2013) have urged the Department of School Education (DoSE) Nagaland to count the seniority of teachers from the date of appointment.
In a representation submitted to the Department’s Principal Director on February 8, the NSSATA and NRMSATA referred to the minutes of the cabinet meeting held on November 6, 2020 and the subsequent letter on November 7, 2020 to the Principal Secretary, Government of Nagaland School Education Department, regarding the seniority of the regular teachers of NSSATA and NRMSATA.
According to the Associations, the cabinet meeting stated that, "the inter-se-seniority of the SSA & RMSA (2010 & 2013 Batches) should be below the teachers already appointed on regular basis...” However, they maintained that they are regular employees and that seniority should be counted from the date of appointment.
In support of their demand, the NSSATA and NRMSATA said that the advertisement for recruitment of teachers had no mention of the post being under the SSA or RMSA project, but was advertised purely as that of the School Education Department cadre.
Further, they stated that their appointment order also stresses on the nature of appointment as regular employees, with scale pay and all other allowances/ rates prescribed by the Government of Nagaland from time to time.
The Associations also made note of an RTI reply to one Ponchulo Wanth, dated October 2013, where it was stated that, "mention may be made that post creation is not done by SSA, it is the Government of Nagaland undertaking. Hence, teachers are appointed on a regular basis and their service is not co-terminus with SSA project."
They further stated that there are members who were serving as Government employees in various departments and as Primary Teachers/Under Graduate Teachers in Education Department prior to their appointment as Graduate Teachers in 2013.
“Through order numbers NO.ED/EST/B-1/MISC/2013, No. ED/EI/M2/2012-13 (Pt-II), NO.ED/EST-1/MIISC/2013 and other similar orders, their service were to be treated as continuous with effect from the date of joining as Graduate Teachers,” the Associations stated in their representation.
They also claimed that their continuation order clearly stated that their seniority would be counted from the date of appointment as Graduate Teachers.
In light of these, the NSSATA & NRMSATA reaffirmed that SSA and RMSA teachers (2010 & 2013 batches) were appointed on regular basis, and as such, the question of counting the seniority, beside the date of their appointment, should not arise.
The two Associations expressed confidence that the Government and the Department would ensure that the concerned teachers are not deprived of their right and urged the department to pursue the matter in accordance with the nature of appointment.
