BJP MDC demand cancellation of municipal boards proposals without consulting GHADC

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 27, 2024

BJP Tura MDC Bernard N Marak has demanded cancellation of all proposals submitted by the municipal boards without consulting the MDCs of the urban areas and GHADC, which is in violation of the Fifteenth Finance Commission guidelines.

In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister incharge District Council Affairs (DCA) Prestone Tynsong on Thursday, Marak said, “I humbly request you to kindly look into this matter immediately and to cancel all proposals forwarded by the municipality boards without consulting the MDCs of the urban areas and GHADC and also to stop all payments for now till the matter is sorted out.”

He alleged that municipalities had violated the guidelines of the Fifteen Finance Commission and the decision of the Co-ordination Committee which was formed on February 2, 2024 which decided that the CEM would convene a meeting to work out details of plans/projects, proposals and procedures on implementation of the Fifteen Finance.

“The Municipal CEOs did not attend the meeting scheduled on 27th June in the CEM’s chamber which can be termed as a humiliation to the office of the CEM and the authority of the GHADC.

Municipalities seem to be forgetting that they are functioning in the Sixth Scheduled area. The Finance Commission guidelines and decisions taken by the Co-ordination Committee were also violated and dishonoured by the Municipalities,” Marak said.

He said that the decisions taken in a meeting held on February 2, 2024 and on May 8, 2024 on instalments of the Fifteenth Finance Commission were grossly violated by the municipalities as they submitted the proposals and implemented some funds without the knowledge of the GHADC which was against norms.

Marak said that the Co-ordination Committee decided certain conditions on the implementation of the funds and subsequently a letter was forwarded by the Director of the urban affairs but when inquired in GHADC, no one was aware of the funds already utilised by the Municipalities.

Further, MDC said that the RTI revealed projects already implemented without the knowledge of GHADC and when the facts was provided to GHADC, the CEM of GHADC invited the CEOs of all Municipalities who were implementing the funds under Fifteen Finance Commission for the Urban Local Bodies to attend a meeting on June 27, 2024, none of them turned up adding “This was a humiliation to the chair of the CEM”.

He said on May 8, 2024, it was decided that the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) shall convene a meeting with the representatives of ADCs under the urban areas at the level of CEM/Dy CEM.

CEM took the initiative to convene a meeting to work out the details of plans and projects, proposals and procedures as per rules and regulation but CEOs avoided the meeting. It was decided by the coordination committee that the Urban department and MDCs of the urban areas were to formulate plans of actions.

He said none of these were followed by Municipalities who were implementing the Fifteen Finance in place of the Urban department.

“Municipality has already forwarded the proposals without consulting the MDC of the urban area and before consulting with GHADC. The proposals made by Municipal boards are mostly outside the Municipal’s scheduled area,” the MDC said.  

“Some of the proposed projects are duplicated while others are over estimated. Urban areas people would not benefit out of it,” he said while adding that he had written a letter prior to the Director (Boro) a few days ago but there was no response till date.