TURA, August 7: The top leaders of the Non-Gazetted Employees Association in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) who have been at loggerheads with the authorities and had led a series of agitations that crippled the autonomous institution over their demand for release of their pending salaries have been placed under suspension while their president has been terminated from service in the council.
A high level meeting of the Executive committee headed by CEM Benedic R Marak had held a meeting on Friday to discuss the replies of the show cause notices given to the striking association leaders.
“There was dissatisfaction with their replies to the show cause because instead of giving their reasons they gave a challenge and even counter accused the EC,” informed the Executive Committee of GHADC when asked by The Shillong Times on the decision taken by them.
One of the most vocal of the NGEA and its president, Senora Johny Arengh, who was employed as an LDA in the Taxation Department of GHADC, has been terminated from service with immediate effect.
According to the EC, the NGEA president was already under suspension for insubordination and when asked to reply to his show cause had given, according to the council authorities, “challenging and counter allegation in nature response”.
The other top leaders of the association who have been placed under suspension are Brithen M Sangma (NGEA Secretary), Flamingbird B Marak (Joint Secretary NGEA), Balseng M Sangma (Adviser of NGEA), Augustbell R Marak (Adviser NGEA), Henyvirth Marak, Mentu A Sangma and Francis R Marak, all members of NGEA.
“The EC had to step in and take action because they refused to adhere to the agreement that was made by both sides two months ago. The agreement was that they will allow the GHADC and its EC two months’ time to mobilize necessary revenue and funds to clear their salaries. However, in the meantime, both the CEM and the Chairman of GHADC were infected with covid and placed in home quarantine. During that time the NGEA leaders again began holding meetings in the council premises and chalking out further agitation programmes, which went against the agreement and violated their suspension periods also,” says the GHADC officials over the decision to take a tough stand on the issue.
The NGEA, on the other hand, is reportedly planning to move the legal system against the EC for the termination and suspension orders.