SHILLONG, May 18: The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) has once again raised alarm over critical structural and financial challenges hampering its functioning. Key concerns include over-employment, inadequate devolution of funds, and overlapping administrative powers with municipal bodies.
GHADC Deputy Chief Executive Member Nikman Ch Marak, who was in Shillong, said the Council is burdened by over-employment and financial constraints, which have significantly affected service delivery. Drawing comparisons with other autonomous bodies, Marak cited the Bodo Autonomous Council and the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, which are not only implementing the 7th Pay Commission but also efficiently managing colleges and even universities.
“These councils are successfully running institutions because they have a system in place. Their respective state governments have constituted State Finance Commissions, and the councils receive a share of indirect taxes collected,” he said.
Marak emphasised that almost the entire state of Meghalaya — except for parts of Shillong — falls under the Sixth Schedule, making the district councils constitutional authorities. “We pay taxes to the Centre, which in turn shares them with the State. It is the duty of the State Finance Commission to further devolve a portion of these taxes to the District Councils,” he added.
Citing the peace accords signed by the ANVC and ANVC-B with the state and central governments, Marak pointed out that the tripartite agreement explicitly called for the formation of a State Finance Commission and equitable devolution of funds to autonomous councils like the GHADC. “This is a political issue that must be addressed. If resolved, the ADCs would no longer lag behind others,” he stated.
One major concern raised by the Deputy CEM is the jurisdictional overlap in urban governance within Garo Hills. While the Constitution empowers Autonomous District Councils to manage towns, municipalities continue to operate independently in the region. This, according to Marak, creates bottlenecks in scheme implementation. “Constitutionally, we have the authority to manage towns, yet a municipality is operating in Garo Hills, and that is causing problems. The GHADC should be overseeing these matters,” he said.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. Marak shared that a crucial meeting has been scheduled with the District Council Affairs (DCA) Minister on May 20. “The DCA Minister is taking interest in the matter. We hope to resolve these issues amicably across the table,” he said, expressing optimism that, with proper coordination and political will, the Council can move toward greater financial autonomy and operational clarity.
