Shillong: The Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has no record of any formal policy to regularize its long-term contractual workers. RTI replies received by advocate Napoleon S. Mawphniang on October 2 confirm that no proposal has existed since 2000. Not one case has reached the Board, the Cabinet, or any government department.
Mawphniang filed 450 questions to uncover the truth. The corporation could not provide a file number, status update, or internal note regarding the process. He did not mince words. "A real process has a number, a date, a desk and a deadline. This one has none of the four," Mawphniang said.
The MTDC lacks records on eligibility, vacancies, or age requirements. It also failed to track whether contractual roles mirror those of regular staff. Meanwhile, the corporation continues to advertise fresh jobs with the promise of future regularisation. This happens despite the absence of a legal framework.
Administrative oversight is failing. The Tourism Department has not inspected the corporation in a decade. No staffing review has occurred in 15 years. Employees lack basic protections, including ESI coverage and group insurance. Financial records show the corporation received government aid without filing mandatory utilization certificates.
Mawphniang is demanding a written policy prioritizing staff with 10 years of service. He wants the Accountant General to audit the books. He also wants a meeting with the Labour Commissioner before October 20. If these demands go unmet, workers plan a month-long sit-in starting October 21.
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