Shillong, June 13: The employees of GHADC under the leadership of NGEA had been holding the series of agitation for the last 3 months for non-payment of salary, non-implementation of Meghalaya fifth Pay Commission, removal of Smti. Rikse R.Marak MCS as Secretary to the Executive Committee GHADC and for many other issues.
However, on 5th May 2021, the Chief Executive Member Shri. Benedict R. Marak had invited the NGEA, Employees of GHADC and various NGOs namely i.e Comprised of 10 Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) Namely, Garo student Union, CEC, Association for Democracy and Empowerment(ADE), Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People(FKGP), A.chik Youth Welfare Organization(AYWO).
The Senior Citizen, New Tura Development Forum, Peace Forum(I/C Rev. Frithing R. Sangma, A’chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC, A’chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC-B) to discussed the matter and to resolved the issues pertaining to non-payment of salary for 34 month and various others issued demand by the Employees of GHADC under the banner of NGEA.
During the meeting many NGOs leaders MDCs, leader of the NGEA and CEM of GHADC have spoken and gave their opinion and suggested and after healthy and threadbare discussion both agitating employees, NGOs and CEM of GHADC finally agreed to resolved the matter and to settle matter amicably.
On that meeting Mr. Benedict CEM of GHADC had request the NGEA and the Employee of GHADC to accept the salary for 5 months in old scale and made assurance to the employees, NGEA and other NGOs leader that the GHADC will first release the 5 months salary in old scale and after two months and they will cleared 3 months’ salary in new scale and thereafter they will clear the monthly salary regularly in new scale.
The CEM of GHADC also promised that they will revoke and recall the suspension order issued to the President of NGEA, and more importantly CEM of GHADC announced and promised that he will conduct the local audit and also will take strong action against those previous MDC and present MDCs who are guilty of misappropriation of Public fund.
Lastly at the end of the meeting CEM made assurance to the employees NGEA and to all the larders of Ten NGOs that he and his colleague Executive Member will issue the written assurance in a day or two with regard to assurances and the promised that had been made by him in the public on 5th May 2021.
But shockingly even after passing of more than a weeks there is neither written assurance nor any initiative taken by the CEM to fulfill the promised and assurance that he had announce in the public on 5th May 2021.
The NGEA like to inform to the Public that we have also submitted the terms and condition on 8th May 2021 to the CEM and if there is no written assurance within these three to four days and if there is no progress to fulfill the promises made on 5th may 2021 the aggrieved Employees and the NGEA will resume and continue their agitation as before.
The NGEA informed the CEM of GHADC instead of taking the matter of urgency like payment of salary for the employees and instead of issuing the written assurance and trying to fulfill his promises to the Employee of GHADC, NGEA and other NGOs the CEM is busy in appointing Chief Adviser, and High Command Chairman.
In this respect the NGEA state that appointment of Chief Adviser or creation of the post of Chief Adviser to the CEM is unnecessary and in future it will be difficult to abolish such post.
The Chief Adviser may refuse to accept any honorarium and setting allowances but in future this post of Chief Adviser will remain whoever will be appointed to the post will accept the honorarium or setting allowances, and moreover appointment of Chief adviser and High Command Chairman also indicate the inefficiency of elected MDCs.
The NGEA said if there is Chief Adviser in GHADC, there is no requirement of Mr. Sujit Dey as Standing counsel in the High court of Meghalaya who is appearing and representing the case of GHADC in the High Court of Meghalaya, and how many adviser is required in GHADC.
With regard to the appointment of the Chairman of High Command Committee the NGEA beg to state that the person who was appointed as Chairman of High Command Committee is not MDC or elected member to the GHADC, how can a person who is not an elected by the voters and public can be appointed to such a high post it underestimate the elected MDC and heard the sentiment of Public and the voters as well, and if any Tom, Dick and harry can be appointed as a chairman, chief adviser etc to GHADC, then without holding the election all these Tom, Dick and Harry can run the GHADC.
The NGEA also learned from the reliable source that MDA government is going to appoint MCS Bureaucrats again to the post of secretary to the GHADC despite of strong protest by the employees and NGEA.
However government never interferer the appointment of secretary in respect of KHADC and JHADC and no MCS Officer had been deputed or appointed to the KHADC and JHADC but MDA Government can do whatever he wishes with GHADC but not with KHADC and JHADC.
Therefore we request our Chief Minister to first depute MCS officers to KHADC and JHADC before deputing MSC officers to GHADC and we don’t understand the reason why MDA government is interesting in deputing MCS Officers to GHADC not to KHADC and JHADC.
Lastly the NGEA beg to state that to clear 5 months’ salary in old scale atleast 20 Crore is required in GHADC but as of now only 10 Crore is available in the treasury of GHADC and another 10 Crore is yet to be arranged but interestingly CEM had announce the 5 months salary will be release in old scale immediately but unfortunately till date no such required amount had been arranged till date, Mr. Flaming B. Marak Joint Secretary NGEA in the press statement.
