Opposition Congress MDC in Jaiñtia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) Awhai Andrew Shullai today criticised the executive committee of the council for the delay to clear the pending salary of JHADC employees.
Shullai raised the matter through a motion during the final day of the winter session of JHADC.
According to him, there were several discrepancies in the release of funds to JHADC by the State government including shares on revenues from minerals and other sources.
“Employees of JHADC have not been paid for many months and this is because of the failure by the State government to clear the dues to the council. The employees were compelled to move court to get their rights,” Shullai said, adding that this action by the government is causing an adverse impact on the financial health of the council.
Shullai also said that the JHADC was deprived of its tax shares amounting to several crores of rupees from 2015 to 2018 as the State government had not released the same to the council.
Alleging that transport companies were allowed to operate hundreds of trucks without trade license, Shullai also asked the JHADC to find ways and means to augment its revenue collection as per its mandate.
Replying to the motion, JHADC Chief Executive Member Thombor Shiwat said that the council had faced serious financial constraints during the last two years due to the onslaught of Covid-19 pandemic.
He informed that the State government has assured to release the share of revenues before Christmas.
According to Shiwat, the share that would be received by JHADC from major minerals is Rs 48, 18, 11,659 while the share from minor minerals is Rs 12, 83, 47,654. He also said that the share from vehicle taxes is Rs 2, 75, 27,598.
“If everything materialises as planned, JHADC would receive around Rs 70 crore as shares from the government and this will enable us to clear the pending salary of our employees,” he said.
Stating that the council has stopped issuing of no-objection certificates to coke factories for the last one year, Shiwat said that the JHADC executive committee has decided to erect monitoring gates at all cement factories in Jaiñtia Hills.
He also said that JHADC is contemplating to authorise Dolois to collect taxes in their areas of which 60 per cent of the collection should be shared with the council.
Shiwat also said that the executive committee has decided to stop recruitment of new staff in the council due to the current financial problem caused by overstaffing.
“We will no longer fill up vacancies caused by the retirement of the existing staff,” he added.
