Governor appoints GHADC administrator

TURA: Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik has on Friday notified the appointment of Dr Vijay Kumar, IAS and present Commissioner of Divisions for the Garo Hills region as the Administrator of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) for a period of six months, with effect from October 19.
The notification from the governor’s office issued by A Mawlong, Commissioner and Secretary for the District Council Affairs department states that Administrator’s Rule would remain for a period of six months or till the constitution of a new council through election, whichever is earlier.
On Monday all powers of the current executive committee headed by CEM Dipul Marak will cease to exist with the taking over of charge of the council affairs by the administrator.
Dr Kumar is currently Commissioner and Secretary of Finance, Planning, Tourism, Cooperation, Sports and Youth Affairs, Soil and Water Conservation among others.
He has been recently appointed as the Commissioner of Divisions for the Garo Hills replacing P Sampath Kumar.
From the IAS cadre Dr Vijay Kumar had previously had a stint in the Garo Hills as Deputy Commissioner of East Garo Hills district in the mid 2000s.
With administrative rule being put in place in the GHADC its several hundred employees, who haven’t been paid monthly salaries for over 28 months, are unsure what happens to their dues.