Kohima: The Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench is cracking down on the Nagaland government for its inconsistent and discriminatory policies toward work-charged employees. Courts are currently processing two major cases involving retired staff who spent decades in service only to be denied pension benefits.
On October 15, the court issued a final warning to the state regarding a retired PWD Housing laborer from Phek. The worker put in 35 years before retiring in May 2021. Despite a July 2025 judgment ordering the state to regularize her service retrospectively to unlock her pension, officials ignored the directive for over 15 months. Justice is stalled. The court has scheduled the next contempt hearing for November 5, 2026, demanding the state stop its vague excuses regarding pay scale distinctions.
In a separate battle, the state government attempted to block a retired worker with 29 years of service from receiving her benefits, despite seeing four junior employees get theirs. The court threw out the state appeal on November 7, 2025. The judges slammed the administration, noting that an employee who worked for decades "cannot be allowed to go empty handed after all these years of service."
The state took this loss to the Supreme Court. On October 16, the apex court rejected the petition but kept the legal question open for future disputes. Meanwhile, the Gauhati High Court continues to hammer home the requirement for equal pay for equal work. Officials are running out of runway. The state must now face the consequences of its discriminatory labor practices.
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