Shillong, Nov 27 (IANS): The Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has taken suo-motu cognisance of reports of non-payment of salaries of transport department contractual employees for two to three years and also of the death of one of the workers, MHRC sources said on Monday.

MHRC Secretary Federick M Dopth said that the commission headed by its Chairperson, Justice T Vaiphel (Retd) has issued a notice to the Meghalaya Chief Secretary DP Wahlang to conduct an inquiry into the entire matter and submit a detailed report to the rights panel within 15 days.

The MHRC Secretary said that the Commission took up the case suo-motu after the local media reported that six contractual employees of the transport department in South Garo Hills District have not received their salaries for over two to three years and one employee recently passed away with dues of over 20 months still to be paid to him.

According to a source from the transport department, some of the employees have pending dues stretching to over 36 months, media reports said.