Staff of the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) have claimed that double standards are in play in the way that employees are appointed.
In a release, MUDA staff, who wished to remain anonymous, complained that their employer has been restrictive in the way it pays salaries and other benefits. They also raised the matter of irregular regularising of contractual staff.
MUDA workers had moved the Meghalaya High Court for their rights and the court had ruled in 2019 in their favour. Subsequently, MUDA, in 2021, revised salaries according to the minimum payscale of the Pay Commission but, the workers say, it did not provide other benefits as enjoyed by regular employees.
The other gripe revolves around the Finance and Accounts Officer, who was first a contractual appointee but was later regularised.
“How does MUDA have the funds to appoint this high ranking post and to sanction a post that was appointed on a contractual basis and yet claim financial constraints when the demand is made to regularise non-sanction staff who have been working with MUDA for decades?” the workers asked, while claiming that senior officers treat MUDA as “private property” by regularising whoever they wish while ignoring deserving workers.