SHILLONG, Oct 1: The three autonomous district councils (ADCs) of Meghalaya recently proposed central grants of Rs 8877.51 crore from the 16th Finance Commission for the next five years period.
Of this, the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) has proposed the highest amount to the tune of Rs 5042.30 crore, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) at Rs 2,641.54 crore and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) at Rs 1,019.60 crore, KHADC chief Pyniaid Sing Syiem told reporters after submitting a joint memorandum to the chairman of the 16th FC Arvind Panagariya here.
“We have also submitted the ADC (2 percent contingency charges) at Rs 174.07 crore,” he added.
Terming the meeting with the 16th FC as very fruitful, Syiem also highlighted the three major important points put forth by the three ADCs before the commission. The ADCs have requested the 16th FC to recommend more Untied Grants from next year onwards.
“Unlike in the 15th Finance Commission, they have given more Tied grants. Basically, they categorized the Tied grants, which will be used mainly for water related projects and health and sanitation projects. Through our experiences, we find that it is very difficult for us if they have kept separate categorization of funds to utilize. Sometimes, we need other projects for development of schools, colleges or for community buildings or whatever but we have to concentrate on other issues,” he said while adding, “For us not to contradict on the implementation of these developmental schemes, we have suggested and requested the 16th FC to be more flexible on Untied grants, so that on untied grants, we can used for any other developmental activities proposed by the village heads or nokmas or the elakas.”
Syiem also informed that the ADCs have urged the Commission to ensure the central fundings to the ADCs should be through the Ministry for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER) or North Eastern Council (NEC) and not through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).
“Regarding funding, (we have requested) it should not come any more from the existing Ministry of Panchayati Raj because till now recommendations to release the funds through 15th FC, it has to come through MOPR. We are not under MOPR. In fact, we are under Article 244 and Sixth Schedule. MOPR is mainly for those states which are under the Article 243 meaning having the panchayati raj system. This is a very critical issue, and we have requested them to recommend the grants in the future from 16th Finance Commission to us through the DoNER or NEC in Shillong,” he said.
Stating that the ADCs have been largely affected due to NGT ban on coal mining in Meghalaya for the past 10 years, Syiem said they have urged the Commission to recommend grants for establishment of day-to-day functioning and activities of the councils under the central government’s revenue deficit budget grant.
“We have informed the commission that all three ADCs are dependent from the royalty shares on major minerals like coal (almost we get 25 percent from 100 percent). Since the ban on coal mining has been there for the past 10 years, the JHADC and GHADC cannot pay salaries to their employees, and this has affected the two ADCs so much. Therefore, we have highlighted this issue to the FC, and we have asked the FC to recommend grants for establishment of day-to-day functions and activities of the council from the revenue deficit budget grant of the central government,” he said.
“Actually, this revenue deficit budget grant is mainly a grant for those states or constitutional institutions, which cannot function anymore due to deficit of revenue. We have also been affected by that so that is why we have asked under this revenue deficit budget grant so at least they can give us like annual grant for all the 3 ADCs so that we can maintain the day-to-day function of the council so that these non-payments of salaries will not happen again in the coming years,” he added further. (NNN)
