SHILLONG, July 14: The All Jaintia Muster Roll Workers and Labour Union has expressed strong resentment over the non-payment of salaries to muster roll workers under the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department for the past three months.
Union president KL Pariat stated that despite a directive from the State Finance Department to all government wings to release pending wages, the PHE department has failed to pay workers for April, May, and June. He noted that several other departments have already complied with the order.
According to Pariat, the delay has caused severe financial distress, particularly during the Behdeinkhlam festival. He claimed that the lack of funds left many families unable to meet basic household needs, and some workers were even evicted from their rented accommodations after failing to pay rent. “The delay has affected workers not only economically but also physically and mentally, as they face constant uncertainty over their livelihoods,” Pariat said.
The union has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, the Finance department, and the PHE Chief Engineer, demanding the immediate release of the pending dues. Pariat questioned why the PHE department is an outlier in withholding payments and alleged that such delays have become a recurring issue for its muster roll staff. The union has urged the authorities to resolve the matter immediately to prevent further hardship.
