Guwahati: The Nagaland government has refused to grant leave to protesting doctors of the state, reports said.
The doctors have declared a three-day “mass casual leave” next week in support of their demand for an increase in the retirement age from 60 years to 62 years.
According to reports, the Nagaland government has decided not to approve any casual leave to the doctors.
In an order, Nagaland Chief Secretary J Alam said no one shall be granted casual leave from April 18 to 20, when the Nagaland In-Service Doctors Association (NIDA) has called a mass casual leave.
The development comes after a meeting on Thursday between the Chief Secretary and the leaders of the NIDA (Nagaland In-Service Doctors’ Association).
An official statement said that Nagaland Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1968, prohibits government servants from participating or abetting any form of strike, including mass casual leave.
“There is no statutory provision empowering the employees to go on strike. The Supreme Court has also in several judgments agreed that going on strike is a grave misconduct under the Conduct Rules and should be dealt with, in accordance with the law,” the statement said.
It said that maintenance of public health and sanitation including hospitals and dispensaries are essential services under the Nagaland Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1978.