SHILLONG, Sep 16: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday said the state government will ensure that the Meghalaya Regular Casual Workers Scheme is implemented across state in letter and spirit.
Replying to a call attention motion moved by Congress MLA from Nongpoh, Mayralborn Syiem, Tynsong, who is also the Health Minister, admitted that there has been a lapse on the department’s part while complying with the Scheme since 1997.
Appreciating the efforts put in by casual workers of the Health department during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tynsong said they were earlier deprived of timely wages until the government took a step to address the issue.
“The next step is we will make sure that this scheme is implemented,” Tynsong said, adding that necessary directions have been issued to the DMHO, Ri Bhoi, to work out the modalities.
The government has also advised all departments, who have engaged casual workers, to follow the seniority list after which the government will identify them.
Tynsong also informed the House that out of the 92 casual workers engaged under DMHO in Ri Bhoi, 78 can be accorded the status of regular casual workers.
Earlier, Syiem alleged that there are many in Nongpoh who have been engaged as casual workers for the last 10-15 years and are nowg too old to secure any government job.
Arguing that the issue of casual workers is not new in Meghalaya, the Congress MLA also lamented that the amount of wage they draw does not correspond to the efforts they put in.
Health min’s reply to Mahendraganj MLA
Tynsong, in a reply to Congress MLA from Mahendraganj, Dikkanchi D Shira, also informed that construction work of the Maternity and Child Hospital in Mahendraganj will start immediately after the land issue is resolved.
Shira, during the Question Hour, had said that the construction of the Hospital, which was sanctioned 4-5 years ago, has been delayed. She also rued that the present Community Health Centre, which is located on the extreme border, cannot cater to the children and pregnant women of the area.
To this, the health minister said, “We have just taken possession of this land measuring around 10-12 acres at Chapahati. We will try to start the construction of the new hospital at the earliest.”
He also saidg that an amount of Rs 14 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose.
