Nagaland: JCC calls off strike after govt agrees to review IAS induction

Guwahati: The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) has decided to end its ongoing Pen Down and Tools Down strike immediately after the Nagaland Government assured that it will revisit the contentious issue of IAS induction for Non-State Civil Service (Non-SCS) officers.

In a statement issued following the government’s press release signed by the Chief Secretary on November 6, the JCC said it had discussed the matter and resolved to respect the decision of the State Cabinet.

The committee announced the suspension of the strike in good faith and expressed confidence that the government would maintain transparency and meritocracy in the induction process.

The government’s press release stated that the Cabinet has decided to review all previous decisions on the matter in order to arrive at an informed conclusion regarding the eligibility criteria for induction of Non-SCS officers into IAS, taking into account the views of all stakeholders.

The JCC, which consists of five major associations, including the Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees’ Association (CANSSEA), Federation of Nagaland State Engineering Service Associations (FONSESA), Nagaland In-Service Doctors’ Association (NIDA), Nagaland Secretariat Service Association (NSSA), and Nagaland Finance and Accounts Service Association (NF&ASA), reaffirmed its trust that the government would honor its commitment fully.

The strike, which had caused widespread disruption in several departments, was launched to protest what the associations described as a deviation from merit-based induction norms in selecting Non-SCS officers for IAS.

With the government agreeing to review the matter, normal office functioning across the state is expected to resume soon.