The All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers Group (ANATG), 2015 batch with 1166 members gathered in Kohima to register their grievances by agitating against the government.
An emotional press release from the ANATG stated that as it got ‘no concrete solution’ from the Government of Nagaland even until the 5th day of its agitation, they are forced to continue their agitation.
“Not a sting in our memory reminds us of being paid any dearness allowances even though our category of teachers performed the same duty as any of our counter-parts. Time and again we have been asked to suspend this ongoing agitation but the teachers who have gathered from across the State, expending the minimum possible amount cannot return back to our families empty handed. Staying here at the state capital for the past one week has drained all our monetary resources; here we do not state the amount we had to leave back with our families from our salaries, so that they do not die of hunger when we go back to our respective homes. It pains ourselves to see that our own fellow teachers with their infant babies and some sharing grieves with their unborn ones in their womb,” stated the press release signed by President Ruguotsolie and convener, Temsuchiba Aier.
“We are called nation builders but we are not even able to maintain our own homes. We are asked to nurture our students but we are left uncared. We are told to do our best, yet we are paid the least. For the past one week we have done what we believe could achieve our demands and yet we were only served with warning letters,” the release further stated.
The ANATG comprises of Grade-III teachers such as GT, PT, AT, LT,DT, CI, KI and HT who have been appointed on adhoc basis against the vacant state sanctioned post.
The ANATG-2015 batch reiterated that the appointments were made under certain terms and conditions by the government, where the adhoc teachers were mandated to undergo required professional training like D Ed and B Ed within two years, and were to be regularized after three years of continuous service by appearing Departmental Suitability Test.
According to their press release, the present ANATG -2015 batch has ‘fulfilled all the procedures and norms laid down by the Government including the verification and clearances from the esteemed P&AR Department.”
They noted that the present adhoc teachers were all appointed prior to the December 31, 2012, with a ‘meager’ fixed pay salary of Rs 6700 and Rs 8400.
Even after the completion of three years of continuous service and obtaining of professional training, ‘the government delayed the conduct of Departmental Suitability Test despite numerous official appeals to the department to do the needful’.