SHILLONG: Boston Marak, the GHADC chief executive member, said on Tuesday the district council is making efforts to clear the pending dues of employees and find ways to tide over the financial crisis.
In a statement to the media issued a day after former CEM Denang T Sangma criticised the executive committee (EC) led by Boston for not clearing 14 months’ dues, Boston said during the administrator’s rule in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, the pending salary of the staff for one month was cleared.
Boston took over as CEM in July. He said the closing balance in the GHADC coffers in April 2017 was around Rs. 3.83 crore but the council, which has nearly 2,000 staff, has to spend more than Rs 3.90 crore per month.
“After I took over as CEM in July 2017, the council’s treasury had Rs 80,86,737. But it could mobilise additional resources and hence was able to pay the entire pending dearness allowance to the staff, which amounted to about Rs 1.14 crore approximately,” he added.
Debunking Denang’s allegations that no dues were cleared after the new Congress-led EC took over, Boston said even gratuity and leave salary of the retired staff to the tune of around Rs 63 lakh were paid following a High Court order.
“This amount was left unpaid by previous executive committees,” he added.
The council, besides garnering funds from the state government, is also trying to generate revenues from its own sources to stabilise the financial status.
“It is not that I or the council has not been initiating steps to unburden the staff… We are trying to explore ways to clear the pending salary of the staff, and we are hopeful that better days are ahead,” the CEM said.
Boston alleged that the previous EC, led by NPP, spent public money on engaging a Hyderabad-based firm to initiate financial and administrative reforms in the council but none of the suggestions was implemented by Denang.
“A resolution was passed on October 13 for the constitution of an Internal Audit Committee that is expected to submit its report soon. Once the report is received, and based on the committee’s findings, appropriate action will be taken by the council,” Boston said.
