By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 3: Former MDC of Sohryngkham, H Mukhim, on Tuesday, said leakage of revenue, including from professional tax which is the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council’s main source of revenue generation, has had a very bad impact.
Mukhim told reporters that during his time as an MDC, professional tax was the only source of revenue for the KHADC to create various posts, etc.
He felt that the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) have of late turned into training grounds to become MLAs.
He said the MDCs, who go on to become MLAs, not just forget the power of the ADCs but they also try to subdue it. He said this can be detrimental to the jaitbynriew of the state.
Talking about the positive side of it, he said members holding the dual posts of MLA and MDC can take the difficulties faced by the ADCs to the state-level and highlight the same.
Mukhim lauded the NPP-led Executive Committee (EC) in the KHADC under Pyniaid Sing Syiem for releasing the pension of former MDCs.
Recalling how they had to approach court for their right to pension, he said, “In 2002, we passed the bill for the MDC pension that got the Governor’s assent in 2006 but our friend,
who led the EC in the KHADC since then, never took care of the MDC pension until the High Court issued a direction to the KHADC on our pension right and we started receiving it from January 1, 2009.”
However, Mukhim said, the pensions were discontinued in March 2012 but the EC under Syiem addressed the issue.
Stating that while the pension of former MDCs in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council has been revised to Rs 15,000 and that they are also entitled to a medical allowance of Rs 5,000 since 2018, he said those in KHADC get only Rs 5,000 per month.