Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee flags JCC-government standoff

DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has expressed deep concern over the prolonged deadlock between the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on IAS induction, comprising the Confederation of All Nagaland State Service Employees’ Association (CANSSEA), Federation of Nagaland State Engineers Service Association (FONSESA), Nagaland In-service Doctors’ Association (NIDA), Nagaland Secretariat Service Association (NSSA), and Nagaland Finance and Accounts Service Association (NF&ASA), and the state government, which has led to a “near paralysis of governance and caused untold inconveniences to the general public.”

In a statement on Thursday, the NPCC stated that at the heart of the issue lies the question of meritocracy and fairness, values that the NPCC has consistently upheld.

“We firmly believe that the right to express grievances and seek redressal is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy, and fully respects the collective voice of the state’s public servants. However, we also hold that public service and administrative responsibility must not be disproportionately compromised in the process of pursuing those rights,” it stated.

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While acknowledging the concerns raised by the JCC over the issue, the committee urged the government to take proactive steps to address these grievances in a manner that restores confidence in the system.

It appealed to both the JCC and the state government to ensure that all avenues of good-faith dialogue are explored and exhausted to arrive at a speedy, equitable, and transparent resolution of the matter, considering the alternative path entails the wholesale disruption of essential public services.

“The people of Nagaland have borne the brunt of administrative standstill caused by this issue for too long. The NPCC reiterates the paramountcy of public welfare, and urges both parties to resolve their differences without delay, so that normalcy in governance and service delivery can be restored in the greater interest of the citizens,”  the committee stated.