Tura, Sept 18: Several posters have sprung up in William point part and outside office premises of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) in Tura’s Hawakhana since Friday, warning of an impending strike from Monday by the employees of the council demanding reinstatement of their colleagues who are suspended and also payment of their delayed salaries in the revised 5th pay scale.

While no one is sure who are the people behind the sudden poster campaign yet, the name of the employees association, Non-Gazetted Employees Association (NGEA), is scribbled below each of the posters.

“No permission has been given from the Council authorities and we are not aware of any proposed strike. We have just received the clearance to pay staff salaries for four months and we will be going ahead with it. The office of GHADC will function in full capacity like any normal working day, next week,” informed CEM Benedic R Marak.

GHADC to function normally

To clear the air about the office functioning, the Joint Secretary to the Executive Committee of the GHADC has issued a press release informing that Council offices will function as in other normal days, the coming week.

“It has come to the notice of the authorities of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, Tura that certain news items/articles pertaining to agitation by some employees starting from 20th September (Monday) have been circulating in the social/print media.”

“In this regard, this is to inform the general public that the GHADC office shall remain open and shall function as on normal days,” informed the Joint Secretary.

The posters also mentions the demand for reinstatement of their members, the top hierarchy of the NGEA, who have all been suspended for their protests, except for their president Senora Johny Arengh, who was terminated from service for allegedly challenging the authority of the Council when asked to show cause regarding his suspension.