SHILLONG, July 22: Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal has assured that he will examine the proposal for enhancing the duty allowance of the Home Guard volunteers engaged by the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL).
This was informed by HITO president Donboklang Dkhar after a meeting with the Power Minister on Tuesday.
Dkhar, however, pointed out that the MeECL has not complied with various notifications, orders, and circulars issued from time to time regarding the enhancement of duty allowances as recommended by the Home Guard and Civil Defence department.
According to him, trained Home Guard volunteers are currently tasked with guarding vital installations and assets of MeECL, including power stations, substations, stores, offices, revenue and collection centres, checkpoints, gates, and other facilities.
Dkhar further brought to the Minister’s notice that these trained Home Guard volunteers are now performing duties that were previously carried out by MeECL’s regular security guards. “But over the years, due to superannuation and the demise of regular security guards, no recruitment has been conducted by MeECL to fill these sanctioned posts for the past 40 years,” he said.
The HITO president also suggested that, in the long run, the department should develop a roadmap for implementing the orders issued by the Personnel Department of the Government of Meghalaya and the Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission, to ensure that all vacant sanctioned posts are filled on a regular basis.
