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Key Points

Hundreds of GHADC employees in Meghalaya's Tura region held a massive protest rally over 44 months of unpaid salaries. The demonstration saw participation from student unions, social organizations, and civil society groups who marched through the town. Employees described severe hardships including children unable to attend school and medical treatments being denied due to financial constraints. The protest has created a stalemate between employees demanding full payment and authorities offering partial solutions with reform conditions.

Key Points: GHADC Employees Protest 44 Months Unpaid Salaries in Meghalaya Rally

  • Employees protest 44 months of unpaid salaries affecting families
  • Student unions and social organizations join massive Tura rally
  • Shops shut down for four hours during protest march
  • State government offers help but demands financial reforms
  • Employees reject partial payment, demand full 44 months clearance
  • Protesters accuse government of infringing on council autonomy
3 min read

Meghalaya: GHADC employees hold protest rally over pending salaries

Hundreds of GHADC employees in Tura protest 44 months of unpaid salaries, supported by student unions and social organizations demanding immediate payment of dues.

"There is no food to eat, no clothes to wear... children cannot go to school because of non-payment - Arphina M Sangma, GHADC Employee"

West Garo Hills, September 5

A mega protest rally in support of the demands of the employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) for the release of their dues was organized in the Tura region of the West Garo Hills district of the state of Meghalaya on Thursday.

Several social organizations, student bodies, and civil society groups together took part in the protest rally to register a strong protest over the delay in payment of salaries.

A conglomerate of organizations, including the Garo Students Union and several social outfits, marched alongside hundreds of salary-deprived staff of the district council as they made their way through the main thoroughfares of Tura town on Thursday.

Speaking to the media, an employee, Arphina M Sangma, said, "There is lot of problems in GHADC employees' family...there is no food to eat, no clothes to wear...main problem is the children of GHADC employees' family...the children, they can not go to school because of the non-payment of 44 months' salaries and the patients, the sick persons...there is so many people of GHADC employees' family, there is a sick person is there, like cancer patients, diabetes patients and many other diseases...they can not take a proper treatment, so some of the employees already expired...today we met at a mass rally in Tura, all the GHADC employees, NGO's, senior citizen forums, demanding to clear the pending of 44 months' salaries".

Shops across Tura town were shut down for four hours when the rally took place.

The Employees of GHADC have reached a mark of 44 months in unpaid dues. Days earlier, the Executive Committee of the GHADC, headed by Chief Executive Member (CEM) Albinush Marak, reportedly assured the striking employees of 5 months ' salary, followed by regular monthly salaries from the first week of November, to get them to return to work.

However, the agitating employees aren't cooperating. Peeved with their own EC for dragging its feet on the issue, they now want nothing short of the clearance of the entire 44 months of pending salaries.

According to the reports, the NPP-led Meghalaya government under Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had made overtures to the affected employees and announced its keenness to step forward and help clear their salaries every month, beginning the first week of November, with one requisition- GHADC must take up financial reforms to ensure it doesn't face another similar crisis.

The protesters alleged that the overture from the Chief Minister hasn't been well appreciated by social groups and other political parties, who accuse the state government of infringing on the autonomy of the district council. This has now led to a stalemate.

The rally started from William Point, which is meters away from the head office of the GHADC, and proceeded through Members' Hostel, DC Office road, Tura Bazar, Hawakhana, and back to William Point.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The part about children not being able to go to school and patients not getting treatment really hit hard. This isn't just about salaries - it's about basic human dignity. Hope the authorities resolve this urgently.
M
Michael C
While I fully support the employees' right to get paid, the state government's condition about financial reforms makes sense. What's the point of clearing dues if the same situation repeats in few months? Both sides need to find middle ground.
S
Shreya B
This is why autonomous councils need better financial management systems. The suffering of employees shows the failure of local governance. Hope this becomes a wake-up call for all district councils in the Northeast.
A
Arjun K
Political parties should stop playing games with people's livelihoods. When CM offers help, it shouldn't be rejected over autonomy concerns. People's welfare should come first, not political posturing. 🙏
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Nisha Z
Heart goes out to these families. 44 months is practically 4 years! How have they been surviving? This shows incredible resilience. Government must clear all dues immediately and ensure this never happens again.

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