In a dramatic move, the opposition in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) staged a walkout today to protest the Voice of the People Party (VPP)-led executive committee’s decision to table the full budget in a manner deemed “unconstitutional”.
The controversy erupted after KHADC Chairman Strong Pillar Kharjana allowed the EC to present the full budget for 2025-26 despite objections from the opposition. The opposition took issue with the inclusion of a supplementary expenditure for 2024-25 in the main budget, which they claimed was “illegal”.
This is the first time in its history that the house had to be adjourned before the budget could be presented.
According to the opposition, Rule 111 clearly states that supplementary expenditures should be presented after the budget has been passed. They accused the EC of trying to sneak in illegal expenditure.
The Executive Member in charge of Finance, Seiborlang Warbah, defended the decision, saying that there was no rule preventing the inclusion of supplementary expenditure in the main budget. However, the opposition remained unconvinced.
Warbah later presented a surplus budget of Rs. 5, 24, 640 for the Financial Year 2025-26. He informed that the estimated total expenditure is Rs. 227, 48, 35, 620, while the revenue receipts are estimated at Rs. 227, 53, 60, 260.
He told the House that the EC will bring in new ways of working, do away with unnecessary expenditures and improve the working in the council with up-to-date practices.
