TURA: A three member delegation of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) led by its Chief Executive Member (CEM), Denang T Sangma has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma urging the advance release of an amount of Rs 20 crore from royalty shares for major minerals so as to enable the payment of staff salary.
Earlier, the delegation also met the Director of Mineral Resources in Shillong and appealed for the release of the same.
The delegation informed that it was yet to receive any fund from the major mineral share since the formation of the current Executive Committee in October 2015, as the amount of Rs 22 crore due to be released in 2016-17 and 2017-18 has been adjusted to the advance drawn by the Congress led Executive Committee prior to the 2015 GHADC election.
“The staff salary of the GHADC has been pending for the last eight months. If the requested amount is released, it will be used for the payment of their salaries,” the Deputy CEM and spokesperson of GHPA, Augustine R Marak said.