Retired employees of Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) are in deep crisis as the corporation has stopped payment of pension and terminal benefits to them. It is also learnt that pensions of April and May were not disbursed to the pensioners.
However, the State government has said that it is trying to find ways and means to end the crisis and enable the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) to pay the pension and other terminal benefits to its retired employees.
“Finance Department and the State government are processing early resolution of the emergent problem,” Secretary, Power Department said, adding the matter is being taken up with the Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MSERC).
It may be mentioned that on March 21, the MSERC has ordered for discontinuation of payment of pension and other terminal benefits payable by MeECL to its retired employees.
In view of this, MeECL has stopped payment towards terminal liability to the pensioners and family pensioners like pension, gratuity, leave encashment and medical benefits.
Terminal benefits to the tune of Rs 840 crores as on March 31, 2010 were payable by the State government since the time of unbundling of MeSEB.
The terminal benefits and pension of retired employees are being paid by MeECL from its own available corpus on a staggered basis or with delays.
Recently, in a letter to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, the Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL Employees Associations and Unions (CCORMAU) has demanded a permanent settlement on the question of terminal benefits to the employees as per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the State government, MeECL and its employees in 2010.
It also demanded that payments to retirees pending since the last three years should be released immediately.
Meanwhile, women members of the Congress party in the State have slammed the decision by the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) to discontinue payment of pension and terminal benefits to retired employees of the corporation.
In a statement issued today, Meghalaya Pradesh Mahila Congress president Joplyn Shylla questioned the MDA Government led by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for the discontinuance of the pension of MeECL employees who have served the corporation since the erstwhile Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) and Meghalaya State Electricity Board (MeSEB).
“This has never happened before during the tenure of past governments. This act of the MDA Government is more dangerous than Covid-19 pandemic. Pensions of April and May were not disbursed to the pensioners. Why is this government ignoring the pensioners, who are senior citizens and are respected globally?” Shylla asked.
