Tura(Meghalaya), May 26: The Non Gazetted Employees Association of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council ( GHADC ) has said that the present NPP led executive committee headed by CEM, Benedict Marak was functioning in an insensible manner which is not acceptable to them .
This statement has come in wake of the pending salaries to the employees of the GHADC for over 34 months now.
On Tuesday , the CEM requesting police protection for employees who had accepted the 5 months salary proposal and wanted to return to work.
The move has been opposed by the NGEA who are still continuing with their protest saying ‘outsiders’ are being allowed to enter the GHADC premises for work.
It is learnt that the CEM had brought a number of outsiders who are not employees of GHADC to work in the office.
“The GHADC is a government/public institution and there is a legal mechanism for appointing people to work in the GHADC. The CEM cannot simply use the office as his personal firm or as his personal property,” alleged the NGEA.
They said that the CEM, as a public representative, was expected to work legally. This however, they said was not reflected when he brought outsiders to work.
“On what grounds has he engaged public personnel as security guards on GHADC premises? They are not following COVID protocols and are unmasked,” they added.
The NGEA further said that many bundles of files have been moved clandestinely and not returned to the office. They fear that these files would be lost.
“Without any record of movement of files, come tomorrow no matter who is in power and takes charge of the office, we will be in a dilemma as our history would be lost forever. Who will be responsible for the loss of files and data altogether,” they asked?
The NGEA further denied any agreements being made between the employees and the EC for payment of 5 months salaries in the old scale. They even spoke to various banks informing on the matter asking them to not be swayed by the falsifications.
“The CEM of GHADC is abusing his power and forcing us to accept our five months’ salary and this is nothing but an act of cowardice and dictatorship. This is a clear violation of law and infringement of personal liberty. This the first time in the history of GHADC that we are witnessing such an act where the police force is forcing the employees to accept the five months’ salary in old scale of satisfy his political ego and treating the aggrieved employees as militants outfit instead of resolving the matter amicably,” they added.
The NGEA further asked the banks to not comply with the directions given by the CEM and credit their salaries.
“We have the legal right to choose whether to accept five month’s salary or to refuse the same and no one can interfere and dictate with our personal right/choice,” the NGEA members added.
