From Our Correspondent
TURA, Sep 10: The Tura-based A’chik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM), central executive body, has pinned the blame on weak administration as well as the absence of financial and service rules for the ongoing salary crisis in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
In a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, the AHAM urged his swift intervention to resolve the crisis, which, it argued, had dragged on for too long. While appreciating the chief minister’s initiatives towards development, the organisation stressed that the situation in GHADC required permanent resolution.
“The most painful manifestation of this failure is the plight of GHADC employees, who have not received salaries for nearly 44 months. This led to an unprecedented protest lasting 2 months and 10 days—a kind of protest that has never been witnessed in the history of GHADC and is rare even in the history of India. Such prolonged unrest highlights not only the suffering of employees but also the complete collapse of governance in GHADC,” the memorandum stated.
The organisation said that a functioning Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was central to financial discipline, transparency and accountability in any institution, but remained weak, sidelined or ineffective in GHADC.
It stressed the need to empower and institutionalise a strong PAC to prevent corruption, scrutinise expenditures and ensure proper utilisation of funds.
Highlighting that thousands of families are facing poverty and children being deprived of education, AHAM described the situation as a gross violation of human rights, adding that denial of salaries for so long amounted to a breach of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
AHAM further urged the government to immediately release the pending salaries of GHADC employees, either from state funds or by properly routing central grants.
It called for the formulation and enforcement of comprehensive financial rules to prevent revenue leakages and mismanagement, as well as the framing and implementation of service rules to regulate appointments, promotions and discipline within the Council.
The organisation also demanded that the PAC be strengthened and institutionalised to ensure fiscal accountability and restore public trust.
Additionally, AHAM proposed the introduction of an official GHADC website to promote transparency in financial transactions, tenders, employee data and Council proceedings, along with the adoption of digital payment systems for modernised revenue collection, salary disbursal and service delivery.
It also recommended the establishment of a Garo National Bank under GHADC to promote financial autonomy, local resource mobilisation and people-oriented financial services. At the same time, it pressed for total structural reforms so that GHADC can function as a strong, self-reliant tribal institution, as originally envisaged in the Constitution.
“We urge you to act decisively—to reform, rebuild, and restore GHADC into a strong institution of self-governance and pride for the A’chik people, without which the very survival of our indigenous community will be in grave danger,” the AHAM added.
Meanwhile, the United Democratic Party (UDP) in Garo Hills has also sought the chief minister’s intervention.
Lamenting that the prolonged strike had led to economic stagnation, revenue loss and public inconvenience, the UDP urged the government to release the pending salaries immediately to end the impasse.
“The situation has now reached the stage where immediate and decisive intervention from your esteemed office is necessary. We therefore humbly request you to take urgent steps to clear the pending staff salaries, restore normal functioning of the GHADC, and put in place measures to prevent such crises in future,” UDP secretary Anand M Marak stated.