By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 4: The Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL (Employees’) Associations and Unions (CCORMAU) has warned of launching a series of agitations if the management fails to act on their long-pending demands.
CCORMAU president Arju Dkhar stated that the union will wait until the second week of September, when a major conference of MeECL employees from across the state is scheduled to take place. If the management does not respond by then, he warned that the union will be compelled to take drastic measures.
Among their key demands are the immediate filling of vacant posts, implementation of the revised pay structure due since January this year, and clearance of pending dues for Home Guard personnel deployed at critical MeECL installations, including dams, power stations, and substations.
Speaking to reporters after a general meeting, Dkhar said it has been over seven months since the revised pay scale was due to be implemented.
“Till date, the management has not issued the notification. We appeal to the management to implement the new pay revision immediately so that we don’t face the kind of arrear burden we experienced in the past. The last revision was only cleared in November 2024, despite being pending since 2015,” he said. He called on the Chief Minister, Power Minister, CMD, and Board members to take the matter seriously and ensure employees receive their rightful dues.
Highlighting the staffing crisis, Dkhar revealed that MeECL currently has fewer than 2,000 regular employees. He noted that the number of vacancies has steadily increased over the years. “We are not demanding 100 per cent recruitment, but there should at least be a clear roadmap to fill vacancies over the next five to six years—particularly in the technical and accounts departments—to address the manpower shortage,” he said.
Dkhar also questioned the growing dependence on contractual staff for managing and overseeing critical infrastructure.
“How can contractual workers be expected to take responsibility for managing power stations and assets worth over Rs 100 crore? Where is the accountability?” he asked, pointing out that the corporation currently employs over 1,500 contractual workers.
He further expressed concern over reports that states like Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh are planning to privatise their power corporations. “We fear Meghalaya might be heading in the same direction. Despite limited manpower and resources, our employees still manage to restore power in record time whenever there’s a breakdown,” he added.
The union also expressed deep disappointment over the management’s failure to clear the dues of Home Guard personnel who have been serving MeECL installations for several years. “These Home Guards have been working for 5, 10, or even 20 years. They’ve been classified as ‘highly skilled’ by the Civil Defence and Home Guards department, yet MeECL has not paid their dues. It’s disheartening that even such a small issue remains unaddressed,” Dkhar said.
