Employees of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) have questioned the failure of the State government in investigating the case of non-payment of salaries to employees of the council despite an order from the Meghalaya Humana Rights Commission (MHRC).
Earlier on August 14, the MHRC, on hearing the petition by one Flaming Marak, an employee of the GHADC, over non-payment of salaries to them for over 28 months, had ordered an inquiry by an officer no less than the rank of a Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, with a detailed report on the investigation and details to be submitted to the MHRC within 30 days.
However as per the Non-Gazzetted Employees Association (NGEA) of the GHADC), no investigation has even started in their case despite more than a month passing by.
The MHRC is set to hear the case again on September 24.
Earlie,r based on the complaint by the NGEA over the loss of life and livelihood, the MHRC had come down heavily on the matter citing the Constitution of India guarantee under right to life and liberty under Art 21.
The NGEA members had alleged that 21 employees of the GHADC (including their relatives) had died due to lack of treatment as they remained unpaid for so long.
“We are disappointed that the State government is yet to start an investigation into the order of the MHRC as the matter is a serious one and we have been without hope for more than two years now. We are at a loss to understand as to why we are being neglected this way despite the thousands that are affected by the loss of salary,” said Flaming Marak.
The NGEA has been in a pitched battle with the GHADC administration over the matter of their salaries and are currently fighting in the Meghalaya High Court on the matter. They are being represented by lawyer P T Sangma.
