Nagaland: Protesting teachers reject govt's proposal to set up panel to examine grievances

KOHIMA: The Nagaland education department on Thursday proposed constituting a committee to look into the demands of agitating Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan teachers who have been seeking regularisation of their services and scale pay.

The RMSA -2016 batch teachers, whose demonstration outside the Civil Secretariat here entered its ninth day on Thursday, rejected the proposal. In a statement, the department said a meeting was convened by Principal Secretary to the chief minister and Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha to deliberate on the issue during the day.

During the discussion, Sinha explained the government’s processes and constraints, noting that the teachers ’ demand for scale pay could not be considered until the outcome of the review petition pending before the Supreme Court, it said.

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RMSA-2016 batch teachers

The meeting was attended by officials from the school education and law and justice departments, Samagra Shiksha, and representatives of the RMSA-2016 batch. Sinha reminded them of the adverse impact of their agitation on students and stressed the government’s intention to resolve the matter.

"The department proposed constituting a committee, comprising officials from the school education, finance, law and justice departments, all Nagaland School Teachers’ Association, and representatives of the RMSA-2016 batch, to examine their grievances," the statement said.

It assured that the memorandum submitted by the agitating teachers to the chief minister would be studied, and urged them to call off the protest and return to schools. However, Nagaland RMSA-2016 Teachers Association spokesperson Renbemo L Patton told PTI that the agitators rejected the proposal.

“We have clearly told them that unless and until they make a workable solution for granting scale pay, regularisation and mainstreaming into the state teaching cadre, we will not accept any other proposal and will continue with the agitation,” he asserted. Around 367 teachers under the RMSA-2016 batch continued their sit-in outside the Civil Secretariat for the ninth consecutive day.