Tura, Feb 17: AITC MDC from Rongrong constituency, Rinaldo K Sangma has demanded the immediate clearance of pending salaries that are due to the employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) by the present NPP-led government in the district council.
Further Rinaldo also demanded the resignation of the current CEM, Albinush Marak from his post if the leader failed in his task to clear dues that have been pending for more than 30 months now.
“When there is not a single grain of ration left at home, when the employees cannot light stoves in their houses, how will they survive? Why is the CEM holding back the payment of salaries of the employees at this emergent hour when aggrieved parents are facing economic hurdles and financial constraints in covering the admissions and school expenses of their children,” asked Rinaldo?
Rinaldo felt the CEM needed to understand that hunger won’t wait, with the current inflation making survival difficult and arduous.
“GHADC employees have been deprived of their pay for nearly 3 years now even though the Centre under 15th Finance Commission has disbursed more than a staggering 100 crore rupees to our GHADC. Further it also collects more than Rs 60 crores a year from royalty of minor, major minerals and from Motor Vehicle Tax,” he added.
The MDC questioned as to why with the salary expenditure being less than Rs 50 crores a year, why was the EC under the present CEM, not paying the rightful dues of the employees.
“Where is this money disappearing to and where is the money that collected in different forms of taxes in Garo Hills disappearing to? The CEM should immediately stop paying crores of rupees to his friends and halt the clearing of ghost bills of his and his executive member’s cronies and firstly prioritize the salaries of his staff at this immediate hour,” he felt.
Rinaldo felt the present situation in GHADC was an embarrassment and the CEM needed to take measures to solve the issue at hand at any cost failing which he should step down and resign from his chair on moral grounds.