TURA, May 26: The NGEA, which is spearheading the protest against pending salaries of over 34 months of employees in the GHADC on Wednesday alleged CEM Benedic R Marak of bringing in outsiders to work in the GHADC and removing office files to an undisclosed location while terming the same as illegal and condemnable.
“The aggrieved employees are still agitating for the salaries due to them but surprisingly, the new CEM has brought in outsiders who are not the employees to work in the office of GHADC. The GHADC is a public institution and there is a mechanism and legal system for appointment to the same. On what grounds has he engaged public personnel as security guards at the GHADC premises who do not follow Covid-19 protocols and are walking around freely without masks,” it said.
Terming the move as highly illegal and condemnable, the NGEA also claimed that large bundles of office files have been moved to an unknown location without any records of the movement which would pose difficulties in the future if any are lost or not returned.
“If any of the files is not returned to their respective office, all the recorded data (private and public) will be lost forever. Without any record of the movement of files, there is no way of knowing if such a thing were to happen. But if it happens, who will be held responsible for the loss of the files and data?” the association said.
The association also informed that, a letter has been written to the concerned Branch Manager of the SBI denying that the employees had agreed to resume work and accept the five months pending salary in the old scale being offered by the new EC. In their letter, the NGEA requested the official not to credit the five months’ salary amount to their accounts.
Meanwhile, the Association for Democracy and Empowerment (ADE) in Tura, while lending strong support to the agitating employees, urged Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to intervene on the matter and bring an end to the salary crisis.
“We stand with the cause of the employees and demand the GHADC release their salaries as per the 5th Pay Commission as approved by the previous EC,” it said.
Pointing out that the region has been gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic for over a year now the association said that the employees of the GHADC have been suffering as it is without their salaries being withheld. Stating that the current situation calls for all to stand united and offer as much help to the citizens, the association appealed to the Chief Minister to take necessary measures and resolve the grievances of the employees.