SHILLONG, Sep 2: Over 1,000 sanctioned posts are lying vacant in the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited but the poor financial position of the corporation is preventing the state government from filling up the same, Power Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Friday.
Reacting to a query on the demand of the MeECL casual workers for regularisation of their posts, Tynsong said the government understands the pain of the causal workers who have rendered around more than years of service to the MeECL but the financial condition of the corporation is not sound enough for the government to move ahead with their regularisation.
“There are not less than 1,000 sanctioned posts which we are yet to fill up. These posts are for junior engineers, assistant engineers and executive engineers but the problem right now is if we fill up these posts there will be a financial crisis. So we don’t have much option now,” he said.
Tynsong pointed out that MeECL was only filling up those posts which are really necessary. Once the corporation clears all its outstanding dues, the government will try its best to accommodate the casual workers of MeECL as regular employees, he added.
“The financial position of the MeECL is still grim and the corporation needs to stand on its own while ensuring that the power supply is not disturbed,” he stated.
Recently, the casual workers of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) launched their first phase of agitation with a three-day black badge protest demanding immediately regularisation of their services and release of their pending arrears.
Over 2,000 casual workers have been working in the MeECL for the past 20-30 years.