Shillong, Aug 13: The opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Members of District Council (MDCs) in the GHADC on Wednesday joined the agitating employees who are demanding the release of their pending salaries.
Speaking to reporters, MDC Rinaldo Sangma said that along with the opposition also demanded that the NPP led Executive Committee should enact the Garo Customary Law which is stalled with the District Council Affairs department of the government and completion of a separate electoral roll, which has been kept in abeyance for a long time.
“These two (points) are the long pending aspirations of the tribes of Garo Hills,” Sangma said.
He said that joining the agitation with the employees of the GHADC is a message to the state government and the Executive Committee that until and unless the demands are not met, the opposition AITC will continue to protest and stand in solidarity with the workers.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition in the Assembly and AITC legislator, Dr. Mukul Sangma said that the state government is insensitive to the problems faced by the autonomous district councils (ADCs), the GHADC in particular.
Sangma said that the response to the problem in GHADC is a reflection of the lack of concern and insensitivity with which the government is dealing with the issue.
According to him, in Sixth Scheduled Areas the constitutional provisions to ensure the level of governance are taken care of and adequate funding are available.
“This particular responsibility is vested upon the Union as well as the State government,” Sangma said.
The AITC legislator from Songsak said that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is trying to shrug off responsibility by stating that the state has no responsibility to pay salaries of GHADC staffs and its responsibility is only to share revenue on royalty to the council while the ADCs ensures management of the council from the revenue that is generated from the share of royalty and other taxes collected by them.
He pointed out that there are statutory provisions which provide that to augment the level of administration in Sixth Scheduled Areas .
“It is very clear whatever fund is required it is to be appropriately worked out and as per the mandate of Article 275 released to the concerned ADCs,” the leader of opposition said.
State to release funds soon
District Council Affairs Minister Prestone Tynsong today said the state government will soon release its share of funds to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), expressing hope that the move will enable the council to clear pending salaries of its employees, who have been on strike over non-payment of wages.
While acknowledging that the salary issue is the primary reason for the agitation, Tynsong urged the GHADC leadership to take greater responsibility for resource mobilisation. “My appeal to the CEM and the Executive Committee is to convince the employees and also focus on generating your own resources. Why should you only depend on the share? Revenue generation is equally important,” he said.
The minister stressed that all autonomous district councils — in Garo Hills, Khasi Hills, and Jaintia Hills — have constitutional provisions under the Sixth Schedule to raise their own revenue and should make use of them.
Asked whether there had been any misappropriation of funds, Tynsong refrained from making direct allegations but reminded that the district councils are autonomous bodies with powers similar to the state government and must exercise those powers in accordance with the law.
