Open Letter to The Chief Secretary, Government of Nagaland

To,
The Chief Secretary,
Government of Nagaland Kohima, Nagaland.

SUB: Request for Remedial Measure to Address Injustice faced by 105 Appointees in the School Education Department through NSSB (2022 Batch) and Rectification of Appointment Order and Joining Date.

Respected Sir,

I would like to draw your kind attention to the following grievances concerning the 105 appointees in the School Education Department:

On 9th September 2022, the NSSB, Government of Nagaland, announced the Combined Staff Recruitment 2022 to fill 630 vacancies across various departments, as per Advertisement No. NSSB/EXAM-4/8/2022. The written examinations were held on 11th and 12th November 2022, followed by oral examinations conducted between 24th April and 5th July 2023.

The results were declared on 9th July 2023, vide Order No. NSSB/EXAM-4/14/2023/415. Subsequently, on 28th August 2023, appointment orders were distributed to all successful candidates by the Honourable Chief Minister of Nagaland. While some departments, such as those under P&AR, issued posting orders on the same day, enabling candidates to submit their joining reports by 30th August 2023 and subsequently avail benefits like salary and seniority (photocopies of Appointment Orders and Joining Reports enclosed), the Department of School Education delayed issuing posting orders by nearly three months. As a result, the successful candidates in this department were unfairly disadvantaged. They eventually received their posting orders only on 22nd November 2023, vide Order No. DSE/ESST/APPT-NSSB/1-88/2023 (Part1)/3036, after my intervention on 21st November 2023 through a press release and an open letter to the Chief Minister of Nagaland.

In response to my RTI query dated 22nd July 2024, the department replied that 30 days is the usual period within which a candidate should submit the joining report after passing the interview. Whereas the candidates in question were appointed only after about 85 days later.

Moreover, in their response (Letter No. ED/PET/RTI-P/2022/38, dated 17th July 2024), the department stated that the entry into service for the teachers recruited under the NSSB 2022 batch would be considered from the date of their joining only. This decision has created an unfair disparity among appointees of the same batch, placing some candidates at a disadvantage.

In light of the above, I earnestly request your esteemed office to kindly intervene and ensure that the affected 105 appointees receive all service-related benefits from their original appointment date, i.e., 28th August 2023, thereby rectifying the injustice caused.

Thanking you in anticipation of your positive response.

Dated: 24th February 2025

Sincerely,

Bendang Imsong
Social Activist, Mokokchung