91 pc attendance recorded in State Govt offices
on Thursday. (ST)
SHILLONG: In a break from the trend, State and Central Government offices in Meghalaya on Thursday recorded a high percentage of attendance in the face of a total shut down call in government offices by the banned militant outfit HNLC demanding immediate release of HANM president Lamphrang Kharbani and four others for their alleged links with the outfit.
Officiating Chief Secretary PBO Warjri informed that the percentage of attendance was even better than in normal days.
Warjri said that the State Government offices recorded an attendance of 91 per cent while the attendance in the Central Government offices was slightly lower at around 84-88 per cent.
The Secretariat which often remained empty during such calls also recorded the highest attendance of 95 per cent.
“I am happy to see the responsibilities of the employees. I hope they keep carrying on with their responsibility,” Warjri said. Normal life in the city was not affected at all as people came out and carried out their activities normally and shops and transportations functioned normally.
A strong presence of security personnel was also seen in different areas of the city.
South West Khasi Hills District recorded 87 per cent attendance while in West Khasi Hills the attendance was recorded at 94.6 per cent.
Ri Bhoi district also recorded attendance of 92 per cent. East Jaintia Hills recorded 80 per cent attendance whereas West Jaintia Hills recorded 90 per cent.
As far as NEHU is concerned, the administrative staff in different departments attended offices in the morning, but reports said that most of them left their departments early. The Administrative Block however, remained almost empty. The parking spaces around the Block which normally remained packed with vehicles were almost empty. There was thin attendance in the office rooms. Most employees who were seen around were the employees on contractual basis.
An employee informed that even the Assistant Registrar and the Pro-Vice Chancellor had left office by noon.