By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 24: The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police to take steps within seven days to alert the president of the GHADC’s Non Gazetted Employees Association (NGEA) about the pendency of a public interest litigation and to request the agitating employees of GHADC to remove themselves from the entrance to the council’s premises, and not to cause any form of obstruction to the persons who are willing to work.
The court issued the order while hearing a PIL seeking to direct the GHADC to resolve the situation, which has led to indefinite strike by the NGEA and the total breakdown of the council’s functioning. KC Gautam, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that the indefinite strike has been continuing from July 29, 2025 and the GHADC being an important functionary cloaked with executive, legislative and judicial functions has been left totally paralysed which has affected the public at large.
He prayed for an interim order to redeem the matter and to direct for removal of the obstruction and picketing to enable the employees to commence their duties.
The Division Bench, comprising of Acting Chief Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew Justice Biswadeep Bhattacharjee, heard the counsel for the parties including Advocate General Amit Kumar who drew the attention of the court to a paragraph of the writ petition which indicates that the state government has offered a bailout package by agreeing to pay the agitating staff regular monthly salary from November, 2025, including arrears of pay for the last five months and also the offer of the GHADC to pay 12 months pending salaries which the staff are unwilling to accept.
Another communication was submitted pertaining to the decision to release the pending salary of 12 months with immediate effect and payment of the arrears in three instalments within two years that was also rejected by the agitating staff.
After hearing the arguments, the court noted that in order to ameliorate the situation at present, it is necessary that some interim orders are passed at this stage itself.
Accordingly, it directed the SP, West Garo Hills, to take steps within seven days to request the agitating employees to remove themselves from the entrance to the GHADC premises, and not to cause any form of obstruction to the persons who are willing to work.
“It is expected that the respondent (president of NGEA) shall comply with this request to be made by the SP and not to disrupt the work of the GHADC, failing which this court would be compelled in the public interest and interest of justice to pass further orders,” the order said.
The PIL will be heard again on October 7.
