NCS officials to refuse work protesting cabinet’s decision

Wary service associations in conflict with one another

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Nov 23: Public servants of the Nagaland Civil Services (NCS) cadre have decided to abstain work from Nov. 24 to protest the decision of the Nagaland Cabinet that it would recommended personnel of the non State Civil Services to be inducted into the Indian Administrative Service.
The decision of the NCS follows the cabinet sub-committee and the Nagaland Cabinet ruling in favour of the demands of the Confederation of All Nagaland State Services (CANSSEA), Nagaland Secretariat Service association (NSSA), Nagaland Finance and Accounts Services Association (NFASA), and the Federation of Nagaland State Engineers Services association (FONSESA).
The associations had called off their ‘pen down’ agitation with effect from Nov. 23.
According to The Indian Administrative Services Rules , 1954 from the 33.3% total inductees in a state 15% can be inducted from non-SCS if the Central government ‘may’, in exceptional or special circumstances, allow. In legal parlance the words, ‘may’ and ‘shall’, hold very different meanings.
At present four candidates may be inducted, out of which two are already non-SCS IAS, leaving two seats vacant that may filled by exceptional and special non-SCS candidates.
The SCS officials in this regard have questioned the state government as to what was so “exceptional” in allowing non-SCS candidates to be inducted into IAS. “It is not a reservation, it cannot be claimed. They are demanding it as a right and as a reservation,” said one NCS officer.
“We, the NCS officers have never challenged the vacancies, we have accepted them but when the cabinet decided to induct non-SCS into IAS, we were unhappy,” said another NCS officer who further added that they have never challenged the vacancy in anyway but inducting a non-SCS officer into IAS without having the experience, and as mentioned under exceptional or special circumstances be inducted, is very unfair.
According to sources, the decision of the associations to demand that non-SCS officers be made eligible for IAS as a “right” and “reservation” has raises many questions of “internal arrangements”.
It is also learned that the Civil Services Board (CSB) had earlier considered the 10 non-SCS candidates who applied as ‘non-qualified’ to be inducted into the Indian Administrative Service.
However with today’s cabinet decision the candidates are poised to get a second chance and will be recommended to the Department of Personnel and Training at the Centre where the final decision will be taken.