By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 1: Seeking urgent intervention from the constitutional head of the state, members of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), led by TMC MDC Cherak W. Momin and Leader of the Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma, submitted a detailed memorandum to Meghalaya Governor C. H. Vijayashankar on Thursday, highlighting the prolonged crisis plaguing the GHADC, including the staggering 43-month salary backlog of its employees.
Momin stated that they had placed before the Governor the long-standing problems afflicting the GHADC. The central issue raised, he said, was the 43 months of pending salaries, which he noted had escalated from just four months due in 2015. He pointed out that the financial burden had grown under the current administration and questioned the state of governance since 2015.
Momin also informed that the delegation discussed several other matters with the Governor, including the pending bill on the Codification of the Garo Customary Law and the abrupt adjournment of the recent GHADC session.
He said they had submitted a formal request seeking a special session to allow discussion on these unresolved issues. He expressed satisfaction with the Governor’s response, saying they were hopeful the concerns raised would be acted upon.
Further, Momin clarified that they were not demanding anything new but were simply urging the government to address the problems being faced in the GHADC, particularly the prolonged hardships faced by its employees due to non-payment of salaries.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition, who accompanied the MDCs during the meeting, stated that the delegation had sought an audience with the Governor to express their concern over the manner in which the GHADC issue was being handled. He said the MDCs had thoroughly articulated the crisis and the government’s insensitivity towards the functioning of the Autonomous District Councils.
Sangma then stressed that the MDCs had requested the Governor to intervene directly, as well as to take up the matter with the concerned Union Ministry. He expressed concern over what he described as an unprecedented situation in Meghalaya, where employees of a constitutionally mandated institution had gone without salaries for 43 consecutive months.
According to him, the absence of any official response despite the ongoing agitation by employees reflects what he termed as a dereliction of duty of the highest order. He stated that this issue should be treated with utmost seriousness and added that the Governor had been considerate and patient in hearing them out.
He further observed that people should not remain silent in the face of such issues and called upon citizens from all sections of society to raise their voices and stand by those affected.