SHILLONG: Weary of not receiving salaries since past 30 months, employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) have set a deadline of September 15 for clearance of their unpaid dues. If their standing dues are not cleared by then, the non-gazetted employees’ association has threatened to go on a strike.
“For 30 months, our salaries have been in limbo. It’s impossible to meet our daily needs, let alone support our families. Many of our children are on the verge of expulsion from schools due to unpaid fees,” president of the association, Brithen M Sangma, told the press on Tuesday.
He highlighted that in the past eight months, the council has managed to clear only two months’ salaries. The strain of the delay is further intensified by the fact that GHADC employees still operate under the outdated 4th Pay Commission while their peers in the state and central government enjoy the benefits of the 5th and 6th Pay Commission.
Sangma further informed that GHADC employees have not received any annual increments in the last four years. “We were denied our rightful increments by the state government-appointed secretary of the previous Executive Committee. Our demands for the benefits of the 5th Pay Commission continue to fall on deaf ears,” he told the press.
Issuing a clear warning, Sangma said that if the authorities don’t address their concerns, they will go on a strike which will paralyse the district, disrupting administrative functions and adversely affecting countless residents of Garo Hills, who largely depend on the GHADC for various civic amenities.
Earlier this week, a delegation representing the association held discussions with the Chief Executive Member, Arbinush Marak, in Tura, reiterating their demands for the outstanding pay. Marak had assured the delegation that salaries for a few of the pending months would be settled in September based on available funds. However, the employees remain skeptical of this commitment due to the council’s previous record of broken promises.
