SHILLONG: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) Muster Roll Workers Union has urged the State Government and concerned departments to immediately release the pending salaries of muster roll workers, stating that many employees and their families have been facing severe financial hardships due to prolonged delays in wage payments.
Addressing the media on, JAC adviser Khroo Lamsalanki Pariat said that concerns had been raised by muster roll workers of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, PWD Roads, and PWD Buildings regarding the non-payment of salaries for several months.
According to him, muster roll workers under the PHE Department have not received their wages for the months of March, April, and May, while workers under the PWD Buildings and PWD Roads wings are also awaiting salaries for the same period. He said the delay in payment despite the workers having rendered their services has adversely affected the livelihood of numerous families.
Pariat said the JAC took up the matter with the Commissioner and Secretary of PWD Roads and Buildings as well as the Commissioner and Secretary of the PHE Department to ascertain the reasons behind the delay. During its inquiry, the JAC found that the State Government, particularly the Finance Department, had already issued instructions to the Chief Engineers of PWD, PHE, and other departments to implement an order issued in July 2020.
The order mandates that muster roll workers be paid on a monthly basis, with wages to be disbursed on or before the 10th day of every month. It also requires departments to furnish details of muster roll employees, including their names, dates of joining, and salary particulars, enabling the Finance Department to earmark adequate funds in advance for salary payments.
He further stated that the Finance Department had made provisions for three months’ advance allocation of funds to ensure that muster roll workers receive their salaries regularly. However, the JAC found that the PHE Department and the PWD Roads and Buildings wings had failed to implement the directive, resulting in the accumulation of salary arrears.
Following its findings, the JAC raised the issue with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma during a recent meeting. According to Pariat, the Chief Minister acknowledged the matter and agreed that the directives issued by the Finance Department should be properly implemented.
The JAC has since submitted a formal representation to the authorities, demanding that all pending salaries be released within the month of June. The union also sought an explanation from the concerned departments for their failure to implement the government order.
Stressing the urgency of the matter, Pariat said that the prolonged delay in salary payments has placed a significant burden on workers, many of whom are struggling to meet household expenses and provide for their families and children’s needs.
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