HC grants Nagaland government last chance to respond in promotion dispute

DIMAPUR — The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court has given Nagaland government one final opportunity to file its response in a writ petition challenging the promotion of an officer from the Craftsmen Training Wing to the post of Joint Director in the Employment Wing under the department of Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

In an order passed on Monday, Justice Yarenjungla Longkumer noted that the government had already sought eight adjournments since the case was filed in 2024, without filing an affidavit-in-opposition.

The court observed that the state respondents had cited “conflict between the department concerned and the government” and the absence of the additional advocate general as reasons for further delay.

However, the petitioners’ counsel strongly objected to the repeated adjournments, pointing out that the matter had been pending for more than a year while the government continued to withhold its response.

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The court, while granting one week’s extension as a “last chance,” directed the state to file its affidavit and obtain necessary instructions within that time. The case will be listed again after one week.

It also said that the earlier interim order would continue, keeping the disputed promotion provisional and subject to the outcome of the case.

The petitioners, 11 officers from the Nagaland Employment Wing, have argued that under the Nagaland Employment & Craftsmen Training Service and Nagaland Subordinate Employment & Craftsmen Training Service Rules, 1998, only officers from the Employment Wing are eligible for promotion to the post of Joint Director.

They contended that the officer in question, being from the Craftsmen Training Wing, was ineligible for promotion to a post reserved for the Employment Wing.