‘NPF patriarch asked CM, Cabinet not to tinker with OM-2008 on contract/adhoc employees’
Dimapur, November 11 : In a new disclosure, ACAUT Nagaland has made public a letter purportedly written by NPF president Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu to Chief Minister TR Zeliang and the entire State Cabinet on March 28, 2016 not to tinker with the existing controversial Office Memorandum (OM-2008) which regularises services of contract/ad hoc employees after completion of three years in service.
“If we abruptly change the course, more than 1000 people will go against you in your next election like 1993 episode where more than 800 senior people went against us on the issue of superannuation of age,” the media cell of ACAUT quoted Dr Shurhozelie’s letter as saying in a press release on Friday. The letter written by Dr Shurhozelie was also made available to the press by the ACAUT.
The ACAUT said it was compelled to make public the contents of the unexpected letter, purportedly issued by Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu, the patriarch of the NPF party, as it may have possibly shattered the future of thousands of educated unemployed Naga youths.
Noting that this letter was issued in the midst of a raging court case on a PIL filed by the ACAUT on backdoor appointments, the release was of the view that the weightage of a letter written by the top leader of the NPF party couldn’t be ignored.
“And therefore, the fact of the matter is that on 11th August, 2016, a new OM incorporating for contract employees to be regularized after 3 years was re-issued because the previous OM dated 6th June 2016 banning backdoor appointment had nullified the old OM 2008 with its controversial 3 year clause,” the release stated.
According to ACAUT, it is an apparent case of an OM being issued on the directive of the NPF patriarch allowing his government to skirt around its own previous order and thus merrily regularising thousands of backdoor appointments made prior to June 6, 2016. “In one stroke, thousands of meritorious and hard-working young people who could have avail edjob opportunities in the event all the contract posts being freed up for competitive examination were rudely denied the chance, thanks to the letter,” it added.
“It is painful that a senior leader like Dr. Shurhozelie, whom many Nagas consider as a statesmanlike figure and in the twilight of his illustrious political career, could ostensibly put his party interest before the interest of young Nagas when he should be primarily concerned on his contribution towards the benefit of Nagas as a whole,” the ACAUT said.
It urged the NPF patriarch to consider what is good for Nagas and write to his government this time to withdraw the 11th August OM.
Stating that freeing up the tens of thousands of contract posts for the benefit of young Nagas may not be a popular move among his party men and ministers, the ACAUT opined that the senior leader and patriarch should be most concerned about his legacy. “It is an ethical dilemma which he can easily solve,” it added.
