Tura, Sept 5: A crowd of several thousand people marched in unison with aggrieved employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council today in Tura demanding steps to ensure the council workers are paid their pending salaries of 44 months.

Volunteers from several student bodies and civil society organizations, together with opposition parties like the Congress, TMC, BJP along with their elected MDCs joined the rally and procession through the main thoroughfares of Tura on Thursday afternoon raising slogans demanding a solution to the long pending problem of salary delay.

The crowds, who joined employees of the GHADC at the rally, also included village headmen and Nokmas of Aking lands who lent support to the demand.
The council employees have rejected the proposal put forward by the ruling Executive Committee of GHADC to give five months of pending salaries and regular disbursement from November onwards.
The council employees have demanded nothing short of disbursement of the entire 44 months dues and student and social groups are backing the demand of the aggrieved employees.

The agitating employees and pressure groups are demanding the government come forward with a written agreement on where it stands on the salary issue. Demands have also been made by a section of the protestors for the dismissal of the current Executive Committee of GHADC, petitioning the high court and submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister Modi and President of India Murmu to highlight the crisis plaguing the oldest autonomous political institution of Garo Hills.