CANSSEA, allied forums stage sit-in in Nagaland with five-point charter of demands

The Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Association (CANSSEA), along with several allied service organisations, staged a sit-in protest at its office in Kohima on Tuesday in support of the nationwide call given by the All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGF).

CANSSEA President Zubemo Lotha Tsanglao said the protest was a continuation of the agitation launched on July 9 and would continue “till the goals are achieved.”

While AISGF had placed 11 demands at the national level, CANSSEA has adopted five state-specific demands, which have been formally submitted to the state government.

The employees’ charter includes the constitution of a State Pay Commission to ensure periodic pay revision every five years, implementation of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act, scrapping of NPS/UPS, and directing fund managers to return the amount deposited with the state government by bringing all subscribers under EPS-95 as a defined benefit pension scheme.

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Other demands include a comprehensive health insurance scheme with government support to cover pensioners, regular and contractual employees, improvement of facilities in empanelled district hospitals under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS), and implementation of transparent eligibility criteria in recruitment for state services as per the March 10 vacancy circular to ensure equity and meritocracy.

The sit-in also highlighted the demand to scrap the National Pension System (NPS) and restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), with CANSSEA and allied forums warning that failure to address the issue could severely affect the future of employees and “jeopardise lakhs of people in the market.”

Nagaland National Pension System Government Service Employees Forum President, Avizo Nienu, said that unless the government responds meaningfully, “the agitation will continue without failure.”

The agitation reflects growing concern among government employees in Nagaland over pension security, health benefits, and transparent recruitment procedures, as employees brace for a prolonged standoff unless their demands are met.