Shillong, Sept 5: Cabinet Minister Rakkam A Sangma has slammed the opposition political parties for “politicizing” the ongoing protest by the employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) over the non-payment of salary for the last 44 months.

Sangma, who is also NPP legislator from Siju-Rongara, urged the aggrieved employees to accept the government’s solution and not be swayed by vested interests.

Speaking to media persons on Friday, Sangma expressed his understanding of the employees’ plight, stating that he would have protested if 3-4 months’ salary is pending if he were in their shoes. “How they survive 43 months (without salary) God knows,” he said.

“It is a genuine issue and the government understood and therefore, the chief minister has already announced a solution to the salary issue, which includes paying salaries from November 1 and clearing backlog payments. For the backlog, the GHADC had already announced to pay 5 months’ salary and the rest will be paid like arrears from the state government fund and from their own funds,” Sangma said while appealing to employees to accept the offer as “there is no solution better than this.”

“I would appeal to the employees (to accept the solution). My elder brother is also an employee of the GHADC, we know the pain of the family,” the minister said.

Further, Sangma alleged that opposition parties, including BJP and TMC, are using the protest for their own interests, especially with elections approaching.

“I feel it is unfortunate that this institution has been taken for granted for politics of some vested interests. Some politicians with vested interests have engineered and they want to continue this protest rather than (resolving the issue),” he said.

“So they (employees) should understand and they should not be misled by vested interests. Politicians, BJP, TMC will try to use their environment for their own interest. Somebody might be doing it for their own survival. Some politicians are using this environment since elections are coming up,” he alleged.

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