SHILLONG, June 26: The Opposition in Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Monday expressed its disappointment that the state government has failed to provide the actual calculation of shares from royalty from major and minor minerals and motor vehicle taxes.
Moving a motion during the KHADC’s ongoing summer session, HSPDP MDC, Martle N Mukhim said the government is not bothered about sharing the details on revenue which is due to the Council.
“In 2020-2021, the Council did not receive its share from royalty from minor and major minerals. The government did not specify that the fund, which was released to the Council for 2021-2022, was the dues for which fiscal. The same goes for 2022-2023,” Mukhim said.
He said the fund received by the Council in 2021-2022 was Rs 21 crore but the amount received in 2022-2023 was only Rs 13 crore.
“What I felt is the collection of royalty from major and minor minerals should be lesser in 2021-2022 if we take into account the situation. But surprisingly, the fund released to the Council in 2021-2022 was higher compared to that of 2022-2023,” the HSPDP MDC said.
He lamented that not only the Executive Committee (EC) but also the members of the House have no idea why the collection in 2022-2023 was lesser.
“We are just happy accepting the funds without bothering much about seeking a clarification from the government on the details about the Council’s share. I am not blaming the present EC but this has been continuing from one EC to another,” Mukhim said.
He criticised bureaucrats, including IAS officers, for allegedly not being able to maintain a proper account on the Council’s share from royalty on major and minor minerals.
“If the officers are efficient, then this kind of thing should not have happened. In my 24 years as a member of the KHADC, I am always hearing about the problem of financial crisis in the Council,” he added.
Leader of Opposition, Titosstarwell Chyne said they heard about the leakage of Council’s revenue from different sources. He said the Council loses its revenue when the transportation of mineral resources takes place without a proper challan.
“We are losing due to illegal transportation, whether it is coal or limestone,” Chyne said.
He further said he totally agrees that the backbone of Council’s financial position is the share from royalty from minerals and taxes on vehicles.
“What is sad is that sometimes we are treated like beggars since the government does not provide the actual calculation. The government released lumpsum amounts,” Chyne added.
Executive Member in-charge of Mines and Minerals, Fantin J Lakadong admitted that the Council depends on the share from royalty from minerals and taxes on vehicles to run its administration.
“We have always witnessed that the expenditure is always higher compared to the revenue generated by the Council. We will try our best to improve the Council’s financial position,” Lakadong said.
He said the government’s failure in providing actual calculation on the dues is perennial. He assured that the new EC will try to follow it up with the government.
“We are also concerned over leakage of revenue. We will try to find out ways for resolving this problem,” Lakadong added.
Earlier, while replying to a query from Mukhim during the Question Hour, Chief Executive Member, Pyniaid Sing Syiem said the Council received sanction of over Rs 12.37 crore out of the total Rs 14 crore on the shares of taxes on motor vehicles due to the Council during 2022-2023. “The balance is Rs 1.65 crore,” Syiem said.
He said Rs 2.04 crore was received during 2021-2022 and Rs 3.45 crore during 2020-2021. He said the KHADC is getting 60% shares of taxes on motor vehicles collected by the state government.
Syiem said the Council has no information on the total revenue collected from motor vehicles as the calculation is done by the government. The Council only accepts whatever is sanctioned as shares from such taxes, he added.
