By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: While the Meghalaya Transport Corporation Workers’ Union (MTCWU) is anxiously waiting for the government to release the fifty per cent arrears and disbursement of the pending salary that is due for the last five months, the government on the other hand, expressed its inability to meet their demands due to financial problems.
Stating that the government at present is not in a position to revive the MTC, Transport Minister AT Mondal said “Unless we give a ‘golden handshake’, things are pretty bad as of now.”
“The government is trying to figure out ways and means to get the required funds to pay the employees of the MTC”, Mondal reiterated adding that owing to a transformation in the transportation system in the state, people prefer smaller vehicles for travelling to distant places.
It may be reminded that even after an extension of the deadline issued by the MTCWU on several occasions; the management is yet to respond to the demands of releasing fifty per cent arrears and disbursement of the pending salary that is due for the last five months.
The transport minister has also informed that there are around 102 members of the MTC who are seeking voluntary requirements, an amount which shoots upto Rs 90 crore. “We have written to the finance department and once we get a reply, we can release the money but not at one go,” Mondal added.
On the other hand, the MTCWU recently decided to give more time to its general secretary to hold the long-awaited general meeting even while maintaining that they are currently waiting for the pending salary and arrears to be released by the government soon after which a meeting will be conducted.
“The general secretary has communicated to us saying that at present, he is busy taking care of the problems that we are facing now since none of the MTC officers are doing so, hence, he had to meet the higher ups himself”, a member of the union said.
Recently, the MTCWU had alleged the present general secretary of the union of double-crossing the union by being involved with the decision of the management and in this regard, they have demanded the general secretary to hold a general meeting failing which they will be compelled to elect another general secretary in his place.