Shillong, June 9: The Joint Action Committee of the Muster Roll Workers’ Union has urged the Meghalaya Government to immediately release pending wages of Muster Roll workers, alleging that hundreds of workers under the Public Works Department (Buildings) have not received their salaries for three consecutive months despite clear government directives mandating timely payments.
Addressing the media following a meeting held at Wahingdoh on Monday, union adviser Khroo L. Pariat said that workers have remained unpaid from March 1 to May 31, 2026, causing severe financial hardship to many families who depend entirely on their monthly wages for survival.
Pariat pointed out that the Meghalaya Finance Department (Economic Affairs) had issued an Office Memorandum on July 7, 2020, directing all government departments to ensure timely payment of wages to Work Charge, Muster Roll and other casual workers. The memorandum required wages to be credited directly into workers’ bank accounts during the first week of every month through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
The directive also instructed departments to maintain updated records of workers and their bank account details and submit them to the Finance Department. Wage payments were to be drawn from designated budget heads, while expenditure heads such as “02-Wages” and “27-Minor Works (Salaries of Work Charge Establishment)” were exempted from the LOA/LOC mechanism to prevent delays in salary disbursement.
According to the union, the prolonged non-payment of wages stands in direct contradiction to the intent of the 2020 memorandum, which was specifically introduced to prevent salary arrears and the financial difficulties faced by daily wage workers.
The workers alleged that the delay has left many families struggling to pay house rent, children’s school fees and other essential household expenses. Several workers have reportedly been forced to purchase necessities on credit from local shops, while mounting debts and unpaid bills continue to add to their burden.
The Joint Action Committee has submitted an urgent representation to the Chief Engineer, PWD (Buildings), seeking immediate release of the pending wages. In addition, the union has demanded payment of Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) arrears from April 2026, implementation of Employee Provident Fund (EPF) benefits, appointment of senior Regular Casual Workers (RCWs) to vacant Group-D posts and the granting of RCW status to eligible workers under the Meghalaya Regular Casual Workers Scheme, 1996.
The union stressed that the matter has become particularly urgent with the approach of the annual Behdienkhlam festival, one of the most significant religious celebrations of the indigenous Niamtre community in the Jaiñtia Hills. This year, Behdienkhlam will be observed in Jowai from July 6 to 9 and in Raij Tuber from July 14 to 17.
Union leaders argued that if the government ensures timely release of salaries before Christmas to enable Christian employees to celebrate the festival with dignity, similar consideration should be extended to followers of the Niamtre faith ahead of Behdienkhlam in the spirit of equality and secular governance.
The Joint Action Committee has therefore appealed to the authorities to release the pending wages before the festival, stating that such a move would provide much-needed relief to affected workers and reaffirm the government’s commitment to the welfare and dignity of daily wage earners across the state.
