Dispur stops paying autonomous council staff their salaries!

ACSECC exuded surprise as to why the circular issued by Dispur in March this year stopped the payment of their salaries from the non-Plan head and fell short of spelling out from which head their salaries would be paid.

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 12: Is Dispur planning to fire the secretariat staff, 276 in number, of the six autonomous councils of the State? This has been a mystery, and mystery is the middle Dispur has earned.

A notification issued by Dispur in March this year has 'successfully' stopped the payment of salaries of the secretariat staff of the six autonomous councils from the non-Plan head, but it has mysteriously stopped short  of spelling from which head the salaries of these employees will be paid. The employees of the autonomous councils have been without salaries since March this year.

Dispur allocates crores of rupees in the annual Budget every year in the me of the six autonomous councils -the Mising Autonomous Council (MAC), Deori Autonomous Council (DAC), Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC), Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council (TKAC), Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council (SKAC) and the Rabha-Hasang Autonomous Council (RHAC) - but it seems to be thinking for the well being of the chief executive members (CEMs) and executive members (EMs) of the councils only, not of their employees.

Apprehensive of being jobless after working for about 10-20 years,  members of the Autonomous Council Secretariat Employees' Coordition Committee (ACSECC) held a meeting in Guwahati today. The meeting was convened by MAC employee Bhupen rah, who also chaired the meeting.

The meeting exuded surprise as to why the circular issued by Dispur in March this year stopped the payment of their salaries from the non-Plan head and fell short of spelling out from which head their salaries would be paid. "Strangely enough, the CEMs and EMs of the six autonomous councils in the State have also opted to keep silent on the issue. Since we are the ones who run their offices, they should have been duty bound to protect us. The MAC was formed some 20 years back and the other autonomous councils are around ten-year old. If a person is rendered jobless after working for 10-20 years, how and were will he/she get a job to rehabilitate him/her?" Bhupen rah questioned.

The meeting has chalked out a serioes of agitation in support of their demands for regularization of their jobs, cancellation of the circular issued by Dispur in March this year and Dispur spelling out the reason behind stopping their payment from non-Plan head. "To begin with, we will resort to a demonstration at Dispur Last Gate during the monsoon session of the State Assembly slated to be held from August 10," rah said, and added: "We will also meet Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and place our woes before him, and request him to regularize our jobs."