SHILLONG: The Jaintia Students’ Movement (JSM) has asked the State government to do away with the Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) stating that the government is wasting valuable resources on a ‘white elephant’ considering that the State is already in poor financial condition.
In a memorandum submitted to Urban & Municipal Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, District Council Affairs Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh and Chief Secretary K.S. Kropha, the JSM pointed that it is not the first time that the JMB staff had resorted to strike. In November2012 and August 2015, the staff had gone on agitation due to non-payment of salaries by the concern authorities.
They stated that the JMB was created as per a memorandum of agreement signed on September 30, 1995 between the JHADC and the Urban Affairs department but as per the agreement the JHADC retained most of the powers thus making JMB a toothless board since its inception. In the memorandum, JSM further stated that the then Jowai Town Committee under Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) was wound up and the staff relocated to the new JMB.
The organization has demanded revival of the Jowai Town Committee under the JHADC and relocation of the JMB staff to the town committee.
The JSM mentioned that the JMB staffs have been on strike for two weeks due to non-payment of salaries for the last 8 months.
“The ongoing strike has posed health hazards to the people of Jowai as the dumped garbage and wastes have been accumulating for several days and emitting foul odour as collection of garbage from the various localities have been stopped.
The JMB does not have any parking lots or market complexes from where it can collect rent unlike the Tura Municipal Board or the Shillong Municipal Board.
The major source of revenue was the collection at the toll gates which are now closed following the Supreme Court’s order.
The JMB has resorted to sub-letting five JMB buses to schools and colleges at Rs 6000 per month each, JSM pointed out in the memorandum. It may be reminded that in August 2015, the district administration had intervened and had got Rs 51 lakh sanctioned from the State government to clear six months’ salaries for the staff.
This time eight months’ salaries are pending and the State government is yet to sanction any fund for the same.
