Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today said that he would call for a meeting of stakeholders next month to decide on the fate of the Mawmluh Cherra Cements Limited (MCCL), a government-owned cement factory located at Mawmluh, Sohra which the government plans to close down.
Sangma said this during his meeting with a delegation of the Mawmluh Cherra Cement Employee Union (MCCEU).
The delegation submitted a reminder letter to the chief minister reiterating the various demands related to pending salaries and other dues.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, MCCEU general secretary Pynskhemlang Lyngdoh said that the chief minister informed the delegation that he would convene a meeting of all stakeholders after the Lok Sabha election results next month to decide on the fate of MCCL.
Lyngdoh informed the demands contained in the letter submitted to the chief minister include normal salary and pending dues to be paid till the cement plant resume normal operation, speedy and normal running of the plant with upgradation and the golden handshake scheme.
He further said that the delegation had also requested the chief minister to increase the interim financial assistance to MCCL in order to enable it to pay the salary to employees.
Additionally, the MCCEU also sought support for a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and a golden handshake scheme.
However, due to the model code of conduct in place, no commitment was made by the chief minister during the meeting.
As far as the golden handshake scheme is concerned, Diengdoh said that the scheme to be implemented should also cover employees whose service tenure is very short by introducing a special scheme for them.
“If they are not willing to opt for the scheme, they should be transferred to other government departments,” he said.
Diengdoh also said that the scheme should be in one-time payment mode and all dues have to be cleared by the government before the cut-off date.
Meanwhile, the MCCEU has elected its new office bearers at its meeting held on May 13. Shanlang Diengdoh and Pynskhemlang Lyngdoh were reelected as president and general secretary of the union. Krein Thabah was elected vice president, Arnold L. Thabah and Wanlangbok Thabah were elected as joint secretaries.
