Kohima, Nagaland – More than 2,200 government teachers in Nagaland have begun an indefinite protest demanding that their salaries be shifted from centrally sponsored schemes to the state’s non-plan expenditure head. The agitation, led by the Nagaland Government Teachers’ Association (NGTA), involves teachers recruited in 2010 and 2013 who gathered outside the Directorate of School Education in Kohima to press their case.
The teachers argue that although they were formally integrated into the State Education Cadre in 2022 following cabinet approval, their pay continues to be drawn from accounts linked to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. They say this has led to frequent delays in salary disbursement whenever central funds are not released on time. NGTA leaders insist that the posts were advertised as regular departmental positions and that the CSS tag was added later in their appointment letters.
Association representatives explained that the cabinet had already agreed in principle in 2018 to induct the 2,293 teachers into the state cadre, and the formal mainstreaming order was issued in September 2022 with effect from April that year. Despite this, they claim their salary structure has not been aligned with that of other state employees. “We are not backdoor appointees. We cleared written examinations and interviews on merit. For over 13 years we have been fighting to be treated at par with other state cadre teachers,” said NGTA Dimapur Unit president Alemkala.
The School Education Department responded with a clarification, noting that the teachers were initially appointed against posts created under centrally sponsored schemes, with salaries funded by the Government of India. It said that once mainstreamed, the teachers became entitled to benefits under the Seventh Pay Commission and are governed by the same service rules as other state employees. The department added that while representations regarding the salary head have been forwarded to the relevant authorities, the decision on budget classification does not rest with employees. Officials also pointed out that consultations had been held with teacher representatives, the Finance Department and Samagra Shiksha in June last year.
The NGTA had earlier served a seven-day ultimatum on February 16 and staged a two-day pen-down strike before escalating to the current indefinite protest. Leaders of the association maintain that the issue is not about pay scales but about ensuring stability and timely disbursement of salaries by placing them under the state’s non-plan expenditure.
