Agitation return to GHADC as staff demand revised pay and return of their leaders

TURA, Sept 20: The staff of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council under the aegis of their Non-Gazetted Employees Association (NGEA) have once again started their protest strike from Monday demanding they be paid their salaries in the revised scale of 5^th Pay and revoking the termination and suspension of their organization leaders.

Employees from the GHADC refused to join work on Monday and instead sat in protest outside the council premises the entire day.

The GHADC is shortly due to release four months of their pending salaries from money received from the state government through royalty for transport and forests. A total sum of twenty crore rupees is being released to the GHADC by the Meghalaya government.

The GHADC CEM Benedic R Marak along with Deputy CEM Nikman Ch Marak and Chairman Rakesh A Sangma had met with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in Shillong, last week, where it was announced about the release of the council share by the state to help tide over their financial situation and pay some of the monthly dues meant for the employees.

The GHADC needs a whooping Rs 4 Crore each month to pay its several hundred employees.

“The demand for revised pay will raise the financial requirement from Rs 4 to Rs 6 Crores which is simply not possible in this current financial situation. We want to provide our employees with the best pay package but for that to happen we need to first strengthen our financial position. Steps are already being taken on this front, but all these will take some time,” says Deputy CEM Nikman Ch Marak.

He mentioned that along with the pay package will also come the annual increments for the staff which will push the financial requirements further in the GHADC which is why a comprehensive study is being done on the tax and revenue generation aspects.

The CEM, who is currently away in Shillong on account of the assembly session is expected back in town by Tuesday. According to the Deputy CEM Nikman Marak, the Letter of Account (LoA) for payment of the four month salary is also being brought by the CEM.

On the demand for the reinstatement of the statement NGEA leaders and revoking the termination given to their president Senora Johny Arengh, the Executive Committee has clarified that a committee set up to look into the matter is the right authority to deal with it.