Meghalaya: GHADC employees reject partial salary after 43 months, demand full payment

Shillong: Employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) in Meghalaya have rejected an offer to receive five months’ salaries, despite remaining unpaid for 43 months.

Albinush Marak, Chief Executive Member of the GHADC, stated that the council currently has sufficient funds to disburse five months’ pending salaries to over 1,350 employees. This includes Rs 24.45 crore recently released by the state government led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.

However, the Non-Gazetted Employees’ Association (NGEA) declined the partial settlement proposed by the council’s Executive Committee during a meeting on Monday (August 18, 2025), insisting on full payment of all pending dues.

Marak added that the state government would now directly pay GHADC employees through the district administration starting this month. Typically, council employees receive salaries directly from the GHADC, which functions as a local government body under the state administration.

He attributed the current salary crisis to irregular appointments made during the previous Congress-led GHADC administration nearly a decade ago, which increased the council’s workforce to over 2,300 employees without proper interviews.

Rejecting the piecemeal offer, the NGEA announced it would continue its agitation for the full settlement of pending salaries. Civil society organisations in the region have expressed support for the employees, urging the GHADC to address revenue leakages and strengthen administrative processes.