DIMAPUR, JUNE 22: The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court on Wednesday allowed Khruohituonuo Rio ~ the “Additional Secretary (Transport), Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA)” ~ to be impleaded as a respondent in a case filed by the Nagaland Assembly Secretariat Staff Association (NASSA) and three NLA officers.
In an interlocutory application, Khruohituonuo Rio sought her impleadment as intervener/respondent in the writ petition filed by NASSA and three NLA officers on the ground that if the petition is heard in her absence, her rights and interest would be adversely affected.
The writ petition was filed on May 25 by NASSA, Jenny Ndang, Additional Secretary of NLA; Kewepe Kapfo, Joint Secretary of NLA; and Kedovino Peseyie, Joint Secretary of NLA.
In the petition they had named only the Speaker of NLA and the Commissioner and Secretary of NLA as respondents.
On Wednesday, Taka Masa, the Counsel for Khruohituonuo Rio, submitted that a bare perusal of the pleadings in the writ petition would show that impleadment of his client was necessary as certain statements have been made alleging that the impugned amendment of the Rules have been made to favour his client.
“As such, he submits that the applicant needs to respond and she may be allowed to be impleaded as intervener/respondent No. 3 in the main writ petition.
“Mr. CT Jamir, learned senior Counsel, on the other hand submits that none of the legal rights of the applicant has been affected and the statements made in the writ petition, in fact, are only general statements which do not relate to the applicant in particular. He therefore submits that the application should not be allowed”, stated the Court order issued by a Bench comprising Justices Nelson Sailo and Robin Phukan.
After hearing both the parties, they ruled that the application should be allowed to be impleaded as a respondent “as no prejudice will be caused to any of the parties”.
The writ petition filed NASSA and three NLA officers challenges a notification issued on May 18, 2022 “wherein and whereby, the amended portion of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1999 was notified” on the ground that the amendment made therein/notified are unreasonable and not workable.
On May 12, the Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court had cancelled the reassignment of Khrouhituonuo Rio as Additional Secretary of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) from her previous role of Additional Secretary of Transport.
After a series of hearings since the case was first filed on November 24 last year, Judge Nelson Sailo had finally ruled in favour of four senior NLA employees who had sought the Court’s intervention alleging violation of statutory rules by State authorities while filling up the post of Additional Secretary of NLA.
(Page News Service)
