SHILLONG, Aug 10: The FKJGP, Garo Hills Zone, said that the prolonged crisis in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), particularly the backlog of 43 months’ salaries owed to its employees, is unprecedented.
Stating that such a situation is unheard of in any institution in India, FKJGP Garo Hills Zone president, Pritam Arengh, said salary delay is not new in the GHADC. “But the maximum delay used to be for five to six months. The current situation has no precedent,” he said on Sunday.
Arengh insisted that the organisation does not intend to single out any Executive Committee (EC), but noted that successive ECs have collectively failed to address the issue. “We have not seen any indication that the political leadership of the Garo Hills, or Meghalaya as a whole, is genuinely committed to resolving the crisis,” he added.
The Non-Gazetted Employees’ Association (NGEA) of the GHADC began an indefinite sit-in demonstration in July, suspending official duties and demanding payment of at least 12 months’ salary.
According to him, the current EC has not convinced employees that effective measures are underway. As a result, demonstrations continue outside the GHADC office, and citizens have been unable to obtain essential documents for over a month.
He recalled that Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma distanced the state government from the matter, stating that its role in ADC affairs is limited.
Arengh said the remark was disappointing and reminiscent of a historical Roman administrator who shirked responsibility.
The FKJGP stated that the issue should not be reduced to political one-upmanship but treated as an opportunity to correct failed policies and introduce mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability in the GHADC’s functioning.
“We recognise that reforming the GHADC is a herculean task requiring cooperation from all political parties, civil society organisations, prominent citizens, and other stakeholders. We will soon submit our suggestions to the EC, the Meghalaya government, political parties, and all others concerned,” Arengh stated.
The FKJGP likened the GHADC’s problems to the mythical Hydra, a challenge that can only be overcome by combining strength, strategy, and collaboration, even with traditional adversaries.
