From Our Correspondent
Tura, Aug 21: A conglomeration of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) of Garo Hills on Thursday launched a poster campaign across the region to show their support for the agitating employees of the GHADC as well as to oppose the move of the government to open the Tura Medical College and Hospital (TMCH) on a PPP mode.
The conglomeration included the GSU, AYWO, FAF, ADE and the FKJGP who through a press release wanted to highlight the two critical issues being faced.
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with the Non-Gazetted Employees’ Association (NGEA) in their protest for unpaid salaries, a struggle emblematic of the broader decay within the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC),” stated the CSOs.
Going back into history, the CSOs stated that the GHADC, enshrined under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution was envisioned by constitutional luminaries like Gopinath Bordoloi and J.J.M. Nichols Roy to safeguard the cultural heritage, traditional governance, and socio-economic rights of Meghalaya’s tribal communities.
“Endowed with legislative, executive, and fiscal authority, the GHADC is tasked with managing local affairs—ranging from land administration to cultural preservation—to ensure sustainable development and self-governance.
However, chronic maladministration, financial recklessness, and a flagrant disregard for accountability have eroded this constitutional mandate. The current Executive Committee (EC) led by Albinush Marak, has met the NGEA’s legitimate demands with indifference and unbefitting statements, fostering a perception of callous leadership,” they stated.
They added that successive ECs have been mired in systemic corruption, financial malfeasance, inordinate delays in salary disbursements, mismanagement of GHADC’s own funds and nepotistic appointments.
This governance failure has left employees unpaid for over 43 months, plunging them into financial distress, forcing reliance on predatory loans, and stripping them of their dignity. Many struggle to afford basic necessities, including their children’s education. This unprecedented crisis threatens the very survival of the GHADC, constituting a grave violation of constitutional principles, labor rights, and fiscal probity. It is not merely an administrative failure but a moral betrayal of the GHADC’s sacred duty to serve its people. We therefore urge immediate and decisive intervention to restore accountability, disburse overdue salaries, framed Service and Finance Rules, digitalise all the transactions of GHADC, set up Public Accounts Commitee(PAC) in the Council and prevent the institution’s collapse” they added.
On the proposed handover of the TMCH to private entities despite being a centrally sponsored scheme, the CSOs have vehemently opposed the move.
“Given the region’s deficient health infrastructure and the aspirations of local youth to pursue medical careers, TMCH holds transformative potential. We vehemently oppose the proposed handover of TMCH to private entities under a PPP model, as it risks undermining accessibility, affordability, and the institution’s public-centric vision,” they added.
They felt the PPP model raised serious concerns about prioritising profit over public welfare, potentially restricting access to affordable healthcare for marginalized communities. Furthermore, the allocation of only 50% of seats for local students at TMCH—compared to 85% in Assam’s government medical colleges—represents an unacceptable disparity, especially since local communities donated land for TMCH with the expectation of equitable opportunities.
“We demand that TMCH remain state-managed, with at least 85% of seats reserved for local students, ensuring it fulfills its intended role as a public institution dedicated to transforming healthcare and education in Garo Hills. Privatization risks commodifying essential services, where profit motives could exacerbate inequities and limit access for the poor,” they felt.
Calling for public support, the CSOs stated that their poster campaign in support of NGEA and PPP model for TMCH would begin today, Aug 21 and end on Aug 23. Further on Aug 25 (Monday), the CSOs appealed to all shop-owners of Garo Hills to down shutters between 12 PM to 2 PM to stand in solidarity with their demands.
“This marks the beginning of our movement. We urge the government to address these genuine demands promptly and decisively. Failure to act will compel us to escalate our efforts into a mass movement to combat this injustice. The people of Garo Hills look to us to uphold their rights and we will not falter in our commitment,” the CSOs stated.