The newly formed Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Tuesday filed a PIL at Gauhati High Court against the Nagaland government’s decision over recruitment in various departments.

The RPP has moved court against the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms notification empowering 76 state government departments to conduct departmental examinations for filling up vacant posts.

The party alleged that the government notification was solely aimed at justifying ‘rampant backdoor appointments’.

The notification was issued by the State chief secretary’s office on July 16 under the subject “partial lifting of appointments”.

The PIL also demanded operationalization of the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) with immediate effect.

The PIL was filed in the Kohima bench of Gauhati High Court by RPP secretary (admin) Lhikhro Kreo and other party members through advocate and counselor for the petitioners Neiteo Koza.

Raising objection to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms notification, the party, in an appeal letter submitted to the chief secretary’s office on August 13, requested that the notification be revoked and also demanded operationalization of the NSSB.

“However, the government seems to have turned a deaf ear to the proposal,” it said in a release.

The RPP demanded that the vacant posts be advertised and filled only through the Nagaland Public Service Commission and NSSB recruitment exams in order to facilitate the practice of a fair and just recruitment process.

The party vowed to stand with the educated unemployed youths in the fight against this menacing system of backdoor appointments. It also appealed to all the right-thinking citizens and civil society organizations to stand up for the future of the State.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]