More than 2000 employees of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) are yet to get their nine months’ salary. But the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Council has taken no initiative to release their pending salaries.
Speaking about the sufferings they have faced due to non-release of their pending salaries, the leaders of the NCHAC Employees’ Union during a press conference here on Friday said, “We have been agitating for the last one year demanding release of the pending salaries of the Council employees. For leading agitation, five employees have also been suspended by the Council authority. Their suspension order has not been lifted by the Council authority till date.”
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The leaders of the NCHAC employees’ union also alleged that though the Gauhati High Court, after being approached by the five suspended Council employees, issued a directive to lift the suspension order, the Council is yet to take steps in this regard.
The Vice-President of the employees’ union, Joyraj Thaosen urged the NCHAC authority to lift the suspension order against the five employees.
It may be mentioned that the Council authority suspended many leaders of the employees’ union for allegedly hampering the official activities of the Council in the office of the West Division of the Forest Department.
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On the other hand, Joyraj Thaosen told media persons that as facts of corruption related to revenue of Forest Department came to light through RTI, the NCHAC Chief Executive Member (CEM) had directly told us, “You go ahead. We are with you. But after that the suspension order was issued.”
“But as per the employee union’s leaders, they have been suspended for agitating from time to time seeking release of the pending salaries. This is very unfortunate,” said Thaosen
The NCHAC is going to celebrate its 67th Foundation Day on Sunday. All preparations are going on. Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with other ministers is likely to participate in the celebration programme. But the employees’ union expressed its resentment for the Council’s silence regarding the Council employees’ salary issue.
The public information secretary of the employees’ union, Barnil Jahari, alleged, “Though the State government released Rs 25 crore in March for payment of the Council employees’ salaries, but the NCHAC has released salaries of only two months where only Rs 12 crore has been spent.”
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Jahari also expressed resentment at the behaviour of Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi during his recent visit to Dima Hasao district. Though the issue of salary was raised before the Governor, who is the constitutional head of the Sixth Schedule area, he allegedly had said, “I am not aware of the salary issue”.
The President of the Council employees’ union, Prasanna Hanshu said, “Salary is the problem not only of the Council employees. It is the problem of the entire district.” So, he appealed to all the people of the district to extend them support.