Putting their weight behind the agitating Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) employees, three pressure groups have demanded that the new executive committee of the council refrain from aggravating the situation further with its threats to staff.
In a release, the three groups, which had boycotted last month’s GHADC polls, threatened to join in the employees’ agitation to get their salary arrears paid.
Laying bare the malaise of the GHADC, the NGOs pointed to the lack of financial rules and service rules that make no one accountable for revenue collections and thereby lack transparency without liability to anyone.
“This is the root of financial corruption,” the release added.
The NGO added that during the meeting with the new EC on Apr 28, the matter of financial regulation and accountability issue was discussed which was considered necessary to stem the tide of financial corruption in the future.
“The issue of the disbursal of salary for the first five months was also discussed, though on our part, was subject to the acceptance by NGEA. Besides the NGEA has declared that the GHADC is open and the officers are allowed to work with the exception of the secretary and it is only that they do not appreciate being unpaid employees which is the main bone of contention,” they added.
The NGOs commended the fact that despite non-payment of salaries, the employees continued running the GHADC and their effort to highlight their plight was valid and democratically legitimate.
“How many have died because they were simply unable to pay the hospital bills? The horrendous treatment of the employees has gone on for long enough and we deem it a tragedy and inhumane,” added the NGOs.
They asserted that even if even one employee terminated, they would push ahead with agitations and call for strikes of the GHADC, demonstrations and bandhs in Garo Hills.
“We urge the competent authority that the demands put forth are contemplated upon for fruition rather than conclude for fractious escalation of the issue,” they added.
