Dimapur, Feb. 21: The Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC) Limited, which is a government of Nagaland undertaking, has been accused of making at least 11 illegal appointments – better known as backdoor appointments – in the last three years.
This was revealed through an RTI application filed by the anti-graft movement, Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT). Replies to the ACAUT RTI, filed on November 8 last year, were made available to the press on Tuesday.
According to the information given by the NIDC, in the years between 2014-16, there were 14 vacant posts for gazette and clerical grades. As per the information, the NIDC received 21 applications against those posts.
However, as pointed out by ACAUT, the documents show that the NIDC had appointed two deputy managers, two assistant managers, four Junior assistant-cum-computer assistants, one Accounts assistant-cum-computer assistant, one post stenographer and one peon “flouting every recruitment norms”.
According to the RTI reply given by the NIDC, no advertisements for said vacancies were given in any of the newspapers “which raises the question as to how the candidates were actually called to apply for the job when no advertisement was issued?” wondered ACAUT.
“Secondly, how were the candidates even selected when there was no interview? This is a classic case of backdoor appointment, with imprints of nepotism everywhere. These arbitrary appointments are not only illegal but hinder the promotional avenues of in-service employees as well, in this case NIDC, which is discriminatory and unfair,” it stated.
While demanding immediate termination of the following people, ACAUT Nagaland has warned that the battle against backdoor appointment in Nagaland has barely begun.
