The ongoing protest by the All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers’ Group (ANATG) 2015 batch entered its 13th day on Friday, with members yet to reach a final decision on whether to suspend their agitation despite what the core committee described as “favourable developments” in talks with the department.
Speaking to the media, ANATG core committee member Bendangtemsu Ozukum said the group has been stationed in Kohima for over two weeks and has continued its sit-in protest while engaging in discussions with authorities and its parent body, the All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association (ANSTA).
He informed that a key meeting was held on Thursday at the Directorate of School Education from 4 pm to around 8:30 pm, attended by representatives of the department, the secretary’s office, ANSTA, and signatories of the High Power Committee (HPC), and chaired by the Principal Director. The outcome of the meeting was conveyed to ANATG later in the evening.
Following the developments, the ANATG core committee proposed to general members that the agitation could be suspended within a timeframe from their side, considering assurances from the department. However, prolonged district-wise and general deliberations on Friday failed to reach a consensus within the permitted protest hours of 9 am to 4 pm.
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“As we could not conclude today, the core committee will hold another round of meeting after dispersing from the protest venue and decide whether to convene again tomorrow or take a final call,” Ozukum said, adding that February 21 may likely be spent in further internal consultations.
He said a major positive outcome from February 19’s meeting was the department’s assurance to help reconcile missing or incomplete service documents of ANATG members , an issue that has been a key point of contention in the regularisation process. According to him, many required records such as sanction post orders, joining reports of previous incumbents, and release orders are difficult for members to trace individually, especially when former appointees from outside the state have returned to their home states.
“The department has assured us they will explore all possible ways to reconcile these documents. We are thankful for that, as it is a significant development and advantage for ANATG members,” he stated.
The ANATG 2015 batch has been staging the peaceful protest in Kohima demanding resolution of service regularisation issues, with further action now contingent on the outcome of the core committee’s internal meeting.
