The Hynñiewtrep Indigenous Territorial Organisation (HITO) met Governor Satya Pal Malik today to request he dissolve the three autonomous district councils in Meghalaya.
The Khasi, Jaiñtia and Garo councils (KHADC, JHADC and GHADC) came in for criticism last month after it was revealed that they were behind in the submission of their accounts to the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Even when they do submit accounts, the way that they keep their books has been criticised as utilisation certificates for the hundreds of crores that they have received from the central government have not been provided.
However, while it wants a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the financial reporting lapses, the lack of audited accounts was just one of HITO’s points.
The pressure group had previously called for the reconstitution of the district councils as bodies that were made up by representatives of local, traditional governance structures, such as Nokmas, Syiems, Dollois, etc.
HITO said that the advantage of this would be a reduction in the amount of money spent on salaries as traditional leaders would not be paid, save for sitting fees. It would also depoliticise the councils, removing what HITO described as an “alien party system”.
The KHADC and JHADC have failed to codify the 54 Hima and 19 Dolloi, HITO added, and politicisation of the councils has meant corruption, confusion and loss of revenue, it alleged.
All this politicking has not benefited the KHADC, which has, by HITO’s count, had 43 Chairmen in 70 years; it would be better, the Governor was told, if it had rotating Syiems, Lyngdohs, Sirdars or Wahadars as the Chairmen.
The letter submitted to Malik also said that the youth are “totally disillusioned” with the “ineffective” functioning of the district councils.
