Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Kohima: Teachers recruited under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in 2016 are calling on the Nagaland government to honor a court-mandated pay scale. During a press conference in Kohima, the group stated that the administration has failed to act despite exhausting all legal avenues.
The Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench issued a judgment on March 16, 2022, ordering the government to grant the teachers a pay scale of Rs 9,300 to 34,800 with a grade pay of Rs 4,200. Following the state's unsuccessful challenges in the Supreme Court, including a dismissed Special Leave Petition and a failed review petition, the teachers expected prompt action. Batch spokesperson Renbemo L. Patton noted the long wait for the state to fulfill its obligations. "More than five months have passed since the dismissal of the review petition, but the government has still not complied with the court's directive," he said.
The teachers stated that they suspended a previous three-week agitation last year based on government assurances that the pay scale would be processed once the legal matters concluded. Although the Advocate General reportedly advised the state to comply, the issue has been referred back to the Cabinet. According to batch president Imlitemjen, the Finance Department and the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms have already provided their concurrence, yet the Cabinet has failed to communicate a decision after two meetings.
In addition to the pay scale dispute, the teachers reported that their salaries for the past two months remain unpaid. While they have not yet announced a new strike, they warned that further delays could disrupt the academic calendar, specifically the upcoming examinations for classes VIII and IX starting June 24. They continue to urge the state to resolve this long-standing grievance without further procrastination.
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