Shillong, Jun 30: Reforms to the Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Councils (GHADC and JHADC) are at an advanced planning stage and service rules will be ready for implementation by September 1, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said today.
The two councils, which are run by Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP), have accepted the government’s financial help in exchange for administrative and other reforms. The Khasi Hills ADC, run by the Voice of the People Party (VPP), however, has rejected the offer in the interest of maintaining its autonomy.
Apart from service rules, a new online system for revenue collection is also being developed for the GHADC and JHADC.
“We had a meeting with the GHADC and JHADC … This is in terms of giving them advances from their revenue to support their salaries and clearing some of the backlog based on their revenue. So, advances have been given for that, and in turn, they are accepting reforms, mainly administrative reforms and financial reforms, so that we can actually improve the overall functioning of the councils,” Sangma told reporters, adding that the reforms would not touch cultural matters.
Following a review meeting held yesterday, both councils are working with the state’s finance teams. He added: “Close to 18 service rules in each of the district councils are at an advanced stage. We expect that by September 1 the service rules for all the different departments, for both the district councils will be ready and implemented.”
He noted that the service rules are “very important because they take care of recruitment, promotion, and different aspects of the personnel department, which is very crucial.” The KHADC, for its part, is working on its own service rules, though these are facing some pushback from opposition parties.
On revenue reforms, the Chief Minister said online systems are being developed to make collection more efficient and reduce cash transactions. “For example, in Garo Hills, the renewal of pattas, which happens every 10 years, they are working to make the renewal system online, so that the collection is more efficient. The payments will be online through bank accounts, so that there is minimum cash transaction,” he said, adding that professional tax and trading licences, etc, will also be able to be paid online.
