Chief Executive Member Thombor Shiwat today placed a deficit budget of Rs 30.60 crore for the 2023-23 financial year in the Jaiñtia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) today.
While the estimated income of the JHADC has been put at Rs 174.59 crore, expenditures are estimated to be Rs 205.19 crore.
This is the last budget that the council will pass before the next JHADC elections, scheduled for 2024.
A big increase in expenses comes from the annual increment, dearness allowance and pensions, Shiwat said.
Revised pay of MDCs, employees and pensioners that could not be cleared in the 2022-23 financial year has been carried over. The grant of menial allowances to Class 2 officers is another factor in the increased expenditure.
The JHADC has earned Rs 73.19 crore from its share of major minerals taxation and Rs 14.65 crore from minor minerals but taxes on motor vehicles have not yet been realised from the state government.
There was criticism from the Comptroller and Auditor General last year that the three district councils in the state were behind in the submission of their financial accounts for statutory auditing. Shiwat today informed that the JHADC has compiled the annual accounts for 2019-20 and 2020-21 and submitted them for auditing. The 2021-22 accounts will be submitted this month.
Looking back on the nearly concluded year, the CEM said that his executive committee has established two private markets – Iaw Muchai Mynsngat and Iaw hat Nonglatem – in Elaka Nartiang to help the Jaintia Hills economy blossom. The additional office building of the JHADC is also nearing completion, he added, while 234 projects were implemented from April 2022 up to January this year through the use of tied and untied grants – these projects comprised drinking wells, school buildings, community halls, public toilets, playgrounds, footpaths, washing areas.
