TURA, April 28: Newly elected Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, Benedic R Marak, on Wednesday held a high-level meeting with various stakeholders of the region to apprise them of the current situation in the Council where the employees have refused to attend to work and the autonomous body is witnessing a huge financial crisis.
The top authority of GHADC —CEM Benedic Marak, Chairman Rakesh A Sangma, Deputy CEM Nikman Ch Marak and Council Secretary and senior civil service officer Rikse R Marak — interacted with members of the Council of Nokmas, Tura Senior Citizens Forum, church leaders and leaders of various NGOs in a special high-level meeting held at Tura Circuit house.
During the meeting, CEM Benedic Marak and Secretary Rikse Marak apprised the gathering about the situation in the district council, particularly the weak financial position, and that the steps were being taken to uplift the oldest autonomous body of Garo Hills.
While CEM Benedic Marak sought the support of all stakeholders in turning the GHADC around, Secretary Rikse Marak informed the gathering about the various steps taken to strengthen the financial position of GHADC which included plugging loopholes that had all along been draining its resources.
Members of various organisations spoke at the meeting seeking answers to questions raised on the health of the institution and also assured of support to bring the GHADC to a position of strength.
It is worth mentioning that hundreds of employees of GHADC have been striking for close to four months demanding release of their salaries that are pending for almost three long years. They have refused to join work despite a new Executive Committee being formed after the polls in which almost all sitting MDCs, including those from the ruling NPP alliance, were voted out by the public.
The new EC headed by MLA-cum-MDC, Benedic Marak, has called upon the striking employees to return to work and said pending dues will be cleared on the basis of the financial strength of the council, something the striking employees refuse to accept.
