SHILLONG, May 13: The state government has approved the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council’s (KHADC) proposal to appoint Mathew Kenneth Makdoh, VPP member from Ri-Bhoi, as a nominated Member of District Council (MDC).
This was confirmed by KHADC Executive Member in charge of the Land department, Powell Sohkhlet, following a meeting between a KHADC delegation — led by Chief Executive Member Shemborlang Rynjah — and Deputy Chief Minister in charge of District Council Affairs, Prestone Tynsong, at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, Sohkhlet stated that the Deputy Chief Minister had informed the delegation that the government had accepted the council’s proposal and that an official notification regarding Makdoh’s appointment would be issued soon.
Sohkhlet also commended the NPP-led MDA government for endorsing the council’s recommendation, noting that previous administrations had, at times, overlooked similar proposals.
“I am genuinely pleased that the government has set a positive precedent by giving due consideration to the council’s recommendation,” he said. Makdoh had recently contested the KHADC election from Nongpoh as a VPP candidate but lost to Rona Khymdeit of the NPP.
Meeting to address issues with schemes for ADCs soon
Deputy CM Tynsong, on the other hand, assured that he will soon convene a meeting with officials from the Urban Affairs and Community & Rural Development departments to address issues related to schemes sanctioned for the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission.
Tynsong, who also holds the District Council Affairs portfolio, gave this assurance during a meeting with a delegation from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), led by Chief Executive Member (CEM) Shemborlang Rynjah. The meeting was held at his Secretariat office and was also attended by JHADC Leader of Opposition Andrew Awhai Shullai.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, KHADC Executive Member in charge of the Development Department, Powell Sohkhlet, explained that MDCs representing urban constituencies in both KHADC and JHADC are currently excluded from the benefits of the 15th Finance Commission schemes because their areas fall under municipal jurisdictions.
He noted that the schemes are designed for areas under Rural Local Bodies (RLBs), and as a result, urban MDCs are left out. According to him, this has raised concerns among MDCs representing urban areas, who feel they should also be entitled to a share of the funds as integral members of the council.
Sohkhlet added that such issues did not arise in the past when proposals were submitted offline. At that time, MDCs from urban areas also received funds under the same schemes. However, complications began with the introduction of the e-Gram Swaraj portal, which requires online submission of scheme proposals and Utilisation Certificates (UCs) using specific codes.
“We are unable to upload proposals for urban areas because the portal does not accept them,” Sohkhlet said, explaining that the system only recognizes areas under RLBs, not Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
He concluded by saying they are now waiting to see whether the government can find a solution, while acknowledging that current guidelines limit the scheme to rural areas only.