From Our Correspondent
UMIAM: Agitated by the adamant attitude of National Bureau of Plants Genetics Resources (NBPGR)’s, the Confederation of Ri Bhoi People (CORP) Eastern Zone on Monday put the office of the bureau and the staffs including two senior scientists under lock and key for a short period of time for pressing their demand of upgrading the position of 29 casual workers to temporary status labourers (TSL).
Notably, the CORP Eastern Zone led by its president Bandari Ryntathiang met A K Mishra Principal Scientist and officer in charge of the Bureau one month back and put forward their demands as the casual workers have been working in the Bureau for more than 20 years on a meagre remuneration of Rs. 144 per day.
The CORP issued a one month deadline to the Bureau authority for meeting their demands for upgrading the casual workers to TSL which ended on Friday last.
These 29 casual workers were earlier on the payroll of the Bureau as casual workers but some ten years back the system was stopped and a tender system for running casual workers in the Bureau was started and the last contract was awarded to William Shangpliang, Nongsder rangbah shnong and it ended on Sunday.
The workers ceased to work, owing to which they were not paid further and the Bureau stated that funds have not come in from Delhi.
Talking to The Shillong Times, Ryntathiang said that they will seek information pertaining to the casual workers, contract thereof and whether there was no release of funds for the workers from Delhi as maintained by Mishra under RTI Act, 2005. He also said that they will take up their grievances with State Chief Secretary and Wansuk Syiem Rajya Sabha MP.