Use & discard policy ‘inhumane,’ DRAN reiterates

November 21, 2022 44 Views No Comment

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Kohima, November 21 (MExN): The Department Recruited Aggrieved Nurses’2021(DRAN 2021), who have been agitating over service issue since November 9, today reiterated its stance and charged the State Government of “applying Use & discard policy against DRAN inhumanely.”

With the State Government invoking the Nagaland Essential Services (Maintenance Act), 1978 on November 16 claiming that nurses have “no right to claim for regularisation of the engagement of contingency basis on any ground whatsoever,” the agitating nurses also contended the Act “cannot be imposed in violation of the Fundamental Rights of a citizen under the Constitution.”

In a press release on November 20, as per the Clause (5) of a notification dated 5.7.2020, a total of 129 nurses (DRAN) were appointed under 50% Direct Recruitment Quota through advertisement 16-7-2020 and 50% (129 posts) through seniority basis (queue system) on the basis of a recommendation of the ‘Manpower Rationalization Committee (MRC).

While recruitment via the NPSC is normal process, the COVID-19 pandemic recruitment was an extra-ordinary circumstances recruitment during a ‘Do or Die emergency basis, and outside the purview of NPSC recruitment,’ it said.

It conditioned DRAN members to resign from jobs serving as long as 17 years in National Health Mission (NHM) & other Services, it said, while pointing out the inhumane ‘Use & discard policy’ of the State Government.

The condition of advertisement was on the basis of any appointment in public service overriding previous or subsequent Notification/Order/Guidelines/Letters of administrative actions and the clearly stated “Regular Basis” appointment, the DRAN claimed.

It further pointed out that the High Court also dismissed a writ petition by the Unemployed Trained Nurses Association (UTNA) and upheld July 5, 2020 notification and July 16, 2020 advertisement, it added.

“That means, the condition of appointment of DRAN has to be strictly as per the advertisement 16-7-2020. DRAN are not to be appointed on Contract,” it pointed out.

Further, the Court’s direction the State Government to relax age to “45years and extending application till 30-7-2020 in UTNA case is for the recruitment under Advertisement 16-7-2020, and not for NPSC recruitment 2022,” it added.

Accordingly, the DRAN charged the State Government of changing the condition of appointment from ‘Regular Basis’ To “Temporary Appointment’ To ‘Temporary Engagement’ and now giving extension of one year as contract appointees despite the Court’s verdict as “illegal.” The DRAN2021 members are not a part to NPSC advertisement giving 25% and 10% weightage to COVID -19 Duty to recruit DRAN members as appeasement, it asserted.

The Government cannot term their duping action against DRAN2021 members legal, and term the genuine rights of DRAN2021 as illegal, it added. It must be noted here that DRAN 2021 members shifted their mode of protest in the form of an indefinite dharna from November 17 citing ‘lackadaisical attitude.”

Source: https://morungexpress.com/use-discard-policy-inhumane-dran-reiterates