SHILLONG, Dec 22: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today made it clear that the state government is not duty-bound to bail the district councils out of their financial mess as they come under the purview of the Sixth Schedule.
The minister also gave a wide berth to the issue of the SSA teachers’ dues, which have been pending for a prolonged period of time.
Stating that the ADCs have their own sources of revenue, he informed that the state government is only looking into ways and means to clear the outstanding share of taxes to the district councils.
The District Council Affairs department had, on December 14, released Rs 45 crore, which was sanctioned by the 15th Finance Commission under the special plan assistance to the three ADCs in the state.
District Council Affairs Minister Lahkmen Rymbui had informed that 50 per cent of the funds were released which were earmarked under the special assistance for the current fiscal.
He, however, said that the funds cannot be diverted for the payment of salaries.
The salaries of the district council employees are still pending and few, like the GHADC employees, had even resorted to agitations, but have nonetheless suspended the stir and decided to accept the two months’ salary out of the 32 months’ dues. (See P-3)
With regard to the SSA teachers, the deputy chief minister said that the funds for their salaries come from the Centre, which is yet to be received.
He, however, informed that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui have already taken up the matter with the Ministry of Education.
Only recently, the aggrieved SSA teachers had claimed that the government has already received some funds from the Centre, but the same was not disbursed to them.