NGEA unmoved by GHADC EC’s five-day deadline

TURA, May 6: The agitating GHADC employees, under the banner of NGEA, on Thursday snubbed the executive committee’s ultimatum, resolving that they will continue to boycott work until a year’s salary in the revised scale is released to them in lump sum.
The NGEA, in a statement, also said that “the new EC was just old wine in a new bottle” and that nothing much was to be expected of it.
“Threatening us with termination, warning of serious consequences is not a new thing as the former EC, under the NPP, had also resorted to such tactics. We have been harassed enough by the previous EC by keeping our salaries pending for more than 30 months. Let them not pay our salary for the duration of our agitation but we have the legal right to receive all our pending salaries,” joint secretary of NGEA, Flaming B Marak, said.
Reacting to recent news reports based on Council sources that the GHADC had incurred revenue loss to the tune of Rs four crore due to the ongoing protest, the NGEA has sought a clarification from the authorities on the total amount of revenue collection for 34 months (the duration of the total pending salaries) as the employees have been agitating since two months.
The NGEA also recalled the statement made by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma during his recent election campaign rally where he had urged voters to choose the party which is in power in Meghalaya as it is only them who can render financial assistance to the GHADC.
“The NPP is in power in the state and the same party has formed the new EC in the GHADC. Why is the chief minister not willing to bail out the GHADC by releasing the salaries of the employees who have been suffering since the past three years?” the NGEA asked.