The secretary to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), Rikse R Marak, has once again written to Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, through the office of the Chief Executive Member of the GHADC, asking to be relieved from her responsibilities.
The letter was sent on May 7.
The GHADC has been in turmoil mainly over the question of the non-payment of salaries of employees of close to 34 months. While the advent of an MCS officer had brought in changes to the administration, the situation has still remained critical, with most of the employees under the banner of the Non Gazetted Employees Association (NGEA) seeking the transfer of the current secretary.
“I have worked as the secretary to the EC (executive committee), GHADC for the past two years and in spite of resistance from various fronts, have tried to bring in reforms. From the latest developments it appears that I am being targeted as a lot of personal attack and character assassination is being carried out against me,” said Rikse in her missive.
The secretary added that the involvement of political leaders in the demand for her removal could also not be ruled out.
According to her, one of the elected representatives called her on May 4 to know whether she would be attending office the next day.
“Though I was on leave, I told him that I will be attending. Thereafter, there was a notice by the secretary of the Non Gazetted Employees’ Association asking the employees to come to office early on Wednesday as I am planning to attend office,” she pointed out.
Rikse asserted that she had bonafide intentions in reforms within the council, some of which she to a certain extent initiated.
“From the latest developments it appears to me that there is more than meets the eye and it will not be proper for me to continue. I would thereby request you to kindly consider relieving me from the post for which I shall always be obliged,” added Rikse.
