Northeast Desk, 3rd September: The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) has formally requested ₹252 crore from the Central government to resolve its ongoing financial crisis. This funding is critical for clearing pending salaries and implementing a revised pay scale in line with the 5th Pay Commission.
The GHADC employees, who have been advocating for salary adjustments for over two weeks, recently staged a sit-in protest against the council’s proposal to settle only three months of overdue salaries under the 4th Pay Commission scale. The employees have rejected this partial settlement, demanding full implementation of the new pay scale.
Ashahel D Shira, the Executive Member for Forests and Environment at GHADC, stated that the Executive Committee (EC) is actively engaging with both the Centre and the state government to find a resolution. Formal requests for financial support have been sent to the Central government. Shira highlighted that the implementation of the 5th Pay Commission, promised in 2018, was approved by previous Executive Committees without a thorough financial assessment.
The protesting employees have also declined a proposal to implement the 5th Pay Commission by January 2025. In response to the situation, Shira assured that non-gazetted employees will receive consistent salary payments, with one month’s salary advanced as a gesture of goodwill.
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