Kohima: The Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, ordered the Nagaland government to produce a status report on the creation of supernumerary posts for police lab technicians. Justice Yarenjungla Longkumer issued the directive on August 28. The state has three weeks to comply.
Eight individuals caught in this administrative limbo remain trapped as GD Constables. They were initially hired as Lab Technicians in 2005 but never transitioned into the correct roles because the government failed to create the necessary positions. The court originally ordered the state to establish nine supernumerary posts on November 14, 2024. This mandate required the state to finish the process and issue appointment orders within 90 days.
Compliance stalled. The petitioners filed a contempt petition on March 24, 2025, accusing officials of wilful disobedience. A prior hearing on August 13 before Justice Mridul Kumar Kalita failed to clarify whether the Home Department or the Department of Health and Family Welfare held authority over the post creation.
During the most recent hearing, the Director General of Police’s counsel confirmed a letter was sent to the Home Commissioner requesting the creation of these posts. The Home Department’s counsel claimed they received this document on August 27. He requested more time to get instructions. The court granted the delay but insisted on concrete results. The judge noted the official record: "The Home Commissioner and the Home Department’s counsel has been directed to produce a status report on the creation of the supernumerary posts of Lab Technicians."
Bureaucracy contributed to the delay. The Home Department sent a proposal to the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, but the process dragged. The reform department asked for documents on November 22, 2022. The state did not provide the required paperwork until June 14, 2024. The case remains open.
Comments