JHADC’s cry for help: Deputy CM Sniawbhalang Dhar takes notice

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 17, 2023

In a much-anticipated development for the struggling Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, in charge of Urban Affairs & Commerce Industries, made his maiden visit to the council on Friday. This visit brought a glimmer of hope for the council, which has been grappling with severe financial difficulties.

During the visit, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar engaged in extensive discussions with council members, vowing to address their concerns and explore viable solutions to generate revenue for clearing the pending dues of JHADC staffs.

JHADC chief Thombor Shiwat submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Chief Minister, highlighting various issues faced by the council. The memorandum presented by the executive committee of the council’s emphasized the ongoing crisis gripping the council and the severe impact it has had on its employees and elected representatives due to financial instability.

The memorandum emphasized the following key points, calling for immediate action and intervention:

The primary source of revenue for JHADC is the shares received from major and minor minerals, distributed in a 60:40 ratio with the State Government which attribute to around 80% of expenditure towards salary. Delays in receiving the council’s share have put a burden on the council for payment of salary to the Members, Council employees and pensioners. As of March 31, 2023, the council’s outstanding shares pending with the State Government amount to Rs. 74.02 crore (including major, minor, and motor vehicle taxes), with an additional Rs. 3.58 crore in royalty shares from the 2021-2022 collection year.

The memorandum earnestly requested the Deputy Chief Minister to urge the government to release these outstanding shares by July 2023, in accordance with the directive from the High Court of Meghalaya passed in WP (C) No. 301 of 2020 to settle employee dues.

The memorandum suggested an annual release of the council’s share at the end of each financial year, instead of the current practice of advance release throughout the year. This change would provide better financial planning and stability to the council.

To ensure transparency, the Executive Committee sought the Deputy Chief Minister’s intervention in obtaining quarterly statements and challans from the Department concerned, providing a comprehensive account of revenue collection from coal and limestone royalties.

The memorandum highlighted that while the State Government collects cess from mining areas for developing civic amenities, the council has not received its rightful share. The council requested the Deputy Chief Minister to impress upon the State Government to allocate a percentage of the collected cess to the council. This would enable the council to undertake various civic amenity services in the affected areas.

The memorandum also drew attention to Re-Development of Iawmusiang Market in Jowai. The market has become the hub of all types of business activities in the Autonomous District, attracting traders from far and wide. However, the memorandum highlighted that the market has become overcrowded and unhygienic, with hawkers and petty dealers occupying vacant spaces, footpaths, and drains. While the first installment of Rs. 6.33 crore was sanctioned from the Ministry of DoNER, the construction work, carried out by the PWD (Bldg) Government of Meghalaya, has been halted for several years due to the non-release of the second installment by the Ministry. The committee appealed the Government of Meghalaya, through the Deputy Chief Minister to explore solutions to expedite the re-development of Iawmusiang Market.