Secretariat employees demand pay hike, expose ACS loopholes

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Secretariat Services Association voiced their protest by wearing black badges on Wednesday demanding enhancement of pay, while they also exposed the loopholes in the functioning of Access Control System (ACS) in Secretariat.
The Association said that there is disparity between the pay being drawn by the secretariat staff and the pay package of Junior Accounts Assistants of the treasury offices which was revised in 2014.
The Association, which comprises of the Lower Division Clerks (LDCs) upto the Joint Secretariat of the Meghalaya Secretariat Services cadre started the three-day protest from  Wednesday demanding pay hike citing the higher pay allotted to the staff in the treasury offices.
I. Kharlukhi, General Secretary of the Association said that the pay scales of the Meghalaya Secretariat Subordinate Service should be enhanced on the basis of job contents, responsibilities, and status involving administrative, legislative, financial and constitutional expertise in their day-to- day works.
With regard to the Access Control System (ACS), she pointed out the authenticity of the ACS is doubtful in view of the fact that although some assistants took leave, the ACS indicated that they were late and left their work early.
The ACS also developed a technical snag leading to a long queue of the staff recently at the Secretariat.
The Association also questioned the government for its lack of consideration to check the service records of other government offices where there are no ACS.
At present, only the main and additional secretariats and a portion of MUDA have ACSs, whereas other government offices are left out from this scrutiny.