MeECL-JAC asks govt to clear pending terminal benefits of ₹840 Cr

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 11, 2020

SHILLONG:  The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) has demanded the state government to clear the pending terminal benefits amounting to ₹840 crore to retired employees.

A delegation of the JAC also met the chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday requesting for his intervention into the matter.

After the meeting, chairman of the JAC, TR Pdah told reporters that the state government has promised to pay the terminal benefits to the retired employees before corporatization of the erstwhile Meghalaya State Electricity Board (MeSEB).

However even after 10 years, the state government is yet to release the terminal benefits of ₹840 crore, he said.

Pdah said the issue was raised during a meeting called by  the chief minister in the presence of the chief secretary, CMD, MeECL and other officials of the government.

“The meeting was a positive one. The CM has pointed out that ₹840 crore is a big amount but assured the delegation that he would soon call a meeting with the officials of the finance department to discuss and also come up with a solution to this,” the chairman said.

“The JAC has not press that the government should clear the terminal benefits immediately but we want that the payment should start from April, this year to which the CM says that the matter will be examined before he gets back to the committee,” he said.

According to the JAC, there are three components under the terminal benefits which include pension, gratuity and leave encashment.

Under the scheme,  over 3,000 employees including retired and those appointed before March 2010, will be benefitted.

Asked, JAC secretary Arju Dkhar said that the ₹840 crore was as per the evaluation done by the experts as on March 2010.

“If going by the actual evaluation, the terminal benefits will by now amount to not less than ₹2,000 crore,” he said.

Dkhar also informed that the MeCL has to spent from its own revenue ₹570 crore from April, 2010 to March, 2019 due to failure of the state government to extend financial assistance.

This is one of the reasons behind the financial crisis being faced by the MeECL, he said adding had the MeECL received the government’s financial support, the question of bailing out the corporation would not arise at all.

He said it is mandatory for the government to release the terminal benefits as per The Electricity Act, 2003 and failing to do so is a violation of  section 132 and section 133 of the Act.

Stating the more the government is delaying to release the terminal benefits, the more it will have to pay, Dkhar said that the JAC may also be compelled to go for agitations, as they have been patience enough with the government.

He said former chief minister Mukul Sangma on April 29, 2014 had also ordered that the terminal benefits payable by MeECL are to be borne by government on monthly basis and that this would apply from April 1, 2014.

“Unfortunately, this has not happened till today,” Dkhar said.