JHADC seek Guv’s intervention for equal share on royalty

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 3, 2020

The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) on Friday sought the intervention of the Governor Tathagata Roy into the need to revise the share of royalty between the state government and the council in the ratio of 50:50.

A three-member delegation of the JHADC led by the Chief Executive Member (CEM) Thombor Shiwat also submitted a memorandum to the Governor during a meeting held at the Raj Bhavan. Shiwat was accompanied by his deputy Lasky Rymbai and EM Winning Garland Sungoh.

Shiwat in the memorandum said that the existing ratio of 75:25 has been shared between the state government and the council for the past 25 years.

“It is high time for executive committee of the JHADC to pray to your honour for enhancement of the ratio from 75:25 (i,e 50% for the government and 50% for the Council), as the council has to bear the burden of huge expenditure every month for the salary of its employees,” he said.

He informed that the present EC could not pay the salary of its employees from November last year, due to the financial position and this has led to protests from the employees.

“(We urge you) to consider for the revision of the share of royalty on major minerals in the ratio of 50:50 in between the district council and the state government as a measure for strengthening of the weak financial resource of the council and to compensate the loss of council’s revenue,” Shiwat said in the memorandum.

“(We also) urge upon your good office to kindly examine the matter in its true perspective and to recognize and appreciate the financial hardship which this district council is now facing in discharging its constitutional functions and to request you honour to prevail upon the government’s order,” he stated.

The JHADC has also requested the Governor to consider for the council’s share within the second week of every month without any correspondence to enable the council to run the administration without any dislocation.

In addition, he said the huge investment incurred in development works had become unfruitful and even the right to check the illegal transportation of minerals was subsequently disallowed.

The CEM said that the main factor which has crippled the council’s finance was the blanket ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the operation of mining and transportation of coal since the year 2014 and which is operative till date.

“The order issued recently by the NGT for closure of the collection of river sand, stone boulder, limestone and other minerals has further aggravated the loss of revenue of the council as the flow of illegal transportation of mineral resources can no longer be checked and which are found to have been taken advantage of by the unscrupulous traders,” he said.

The CEM also requested the Governor to consider for entrustment the district council for checking and verifying the quantum of minerals in its weighbridges before being transported of minerals outside the jurisdiction of JHADC, Jowai to enable this council to stop the illegal transportation of minerals.

Meanwhile, the Governor has assured the delegation to take up the  matter with the state government for necessary action.