Shillong: As the rising pandemic takes its all-round toll, not the least of which is economic, the Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) and Workers Power of Meghalaya on Wednesday have urged the Conrad Sangma-led government to immediately come to the rescue of the working class in the State, who are reeling under poverty.
In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, demanded that Rs. 2 crore sanctioned to the 60 members of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to implement various schemes each year be immediately consolidated into a single fund of Rs. 120 crore and cash transfer/income support for the families of daily wage workers, domestic workers, taxi drivers, shop assistants, street vendors and marginal farmers be done from such a fund of Rs. 5000 in two installments.
“Working class families are staring at hunger, disease and homelessness. This is a time to support the working classes of Meghalaya and therefore keeping in mind financial crisis in the state, it is but right to consolidate MLALAD and MPLAD funds to help mitigate the crisis being faced by the toiling people of the state,” the NGOs wrote to the chief minister.
“Further, TUR demands that 25 per cent salary of Class One Officers, including central services officers and the tax refund being done for IAS & IPS officers be utilised to take care of the out of pocket medical expenses of the working class citizens during this pandemic,” the NGOs underscored.
“Crisis facing our society is not just medical but is connected to the choices we make a vis-a-vis governance and politics,” they emphasised.
