Shillong, July 20: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Muster Roll workers on Sunday intensified its protest over the non-payment of wages for the past four months, questioning the department over the whereabouts of funds allocated for workers’ salaries.
Holding a silent march, hundreds of Muster Roll workers assembled at the Dorbar Hall in Wahingdoh before proceeding peacefully to the Office of the Chief Engineer, PHE, at Lower Lachumiere, where they submitted a memorandum demanding the immediate release of pending wages.
Addressing reporters, JAC Adviser Ma Khroo L. Pariat said Muster Roll employees have not received their salaries for March, April, May and June 2026, leaving hundreds of families in severe financial distress.
He said the committee had repeatedly appealed to the department to clear the outstanding wages, but no concrete action had been taken.
Pariat pointed out that the Finance Department’s Office Memorandum issued in July 2020 directs all government departments to ensure that wages of Muster Roll, Work Charge and other casual workers are paid within the first week of every month.
He added that the Finance Department had also introduced the Letter of Allotment (LOA) and Letter of Credit (LOC) system to ensure timely release of funds and prevent delays in salary disbursement. Despite these measures, he said, Muster Roll workers have remained unpaid for four consecutive months.
Raising questions over the handling of salary funds, the JAC demanded that the PHE Department disclose the amount sanctioned for wages, how much had been released, and whether the allocated funds had reached the concerned offices.
“Where has the money allocated for the workers’ salaries gone?” the committee questioned, demanding accountability if the funds had already been released but had not reached the workers.
The committee said the prolonged delay has raised serious concerns and urged the department to explain why workers continue to remain unpaid despite the existing financial mechanisms.
In its memorandum to the Chief Engineer, the JAC called for the immediate release of all pending salaries and the strict implementation of the Finance Department’s 2020 Office Memorandum to ensure timely payment of Muster Roll workers in the future.
The committee also warned that if the pending wages are not released within the coming days, it will intensify its agitation across Meghalaya, stating that workers and their families can no longer endure the hardship caused by months of unpaid salaries.
