TURA, Aug 7: The top leaders of the Non-Gazetted Employees Association (NGEA) in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), who have been at loggerheads with the authorities and had led a spate of agitations that crippled the autonomous institution, have now been placed under suspension while their president has been terminated from service in the Council.
A high-level meeting of the Executive Committee, headed by CEM Benedic R Marak, was held on Friday to confer about the replies to the show-cause notices issued to the striking NGEA leaders.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on the decision, the EC of GHADC said, “There was dissatisfaction with their replies to the show-cause because instead of giving their reasons they gave a challenge and even counter-accused the EC.”
One of the most vocal of the NGEA and its president, Senora Johny Arengh, who was employed as an LDA in the Taxation department of GHADC, has been terminated from service with immediate effect.
The other top leaders of the association who have been placed under suspension are Brithen M Sangma (NGEA secretary), Flamingbird B Marak (joint secretary), Balseng M Sangma (adviser), Augustbell R Marak (adviser), et al.
“The EC had to step in and take action because they refused to adhere to the agreement that was made by both sides two months ago. The agreement was that they will allow the GHADC and its EC two months’ time to mobilise necessary revenue and funds to clear their salaries. However, in the meantime, both the CEM and the Chairman of GHADC were infected with COVID-19 and placed under home quarantine. During that time, the NGEA leaders again began holding meetings on the Council premises and began chalking out further agitation programmes, which went against the agreement and violated their suspension periods too,” said officials at the GHADC.
The NGEA, on the other hand, is reportedly planning to move the legal system against the EC over the termination and suspension.
