By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 1: The Meghalaya government has been non-committal about bailing the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) out of a deep financial crisis.
The employees of the council have not received their salaries for 42 months now.
Reacting to the grievances of the GHADC employees, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of District Council Affairs, Prestone Tynsong, said that the ADCs are supposed to generate and manage revenue on their own and recruit people according to their capacities.
“This is not the first time that staff in the ADCs, barring the KHADC sometimes, are not getting their salaries. This has been happening for years,” he said.
Refraining from commenting further, Tynsong advised the ADCs to minimise their unnecessary expenditures.
“What else will happen when you earn Rs 100 but spend Rs 200?” he asked.
Acknowledging that the employees are under great distress as they have not been paid for months, the government has left it to the wisdom of the GHADC to understand and resolve the crisis.
Recalling that the government has time and again helped the ADCs out by releasing advance share, Tynsong said a bailout package for the GHADC may be explored.
Replying to a question, he said it is too early to say whether the GHADC is undergoing a financial crisis due to the misappropriation of funds.
Pressure has been mounting on the state government and the Governor to act on the financial crisis in the GHADC.
While Congress has asked the state government to recommend the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the district council, the Trinamool Congress has threatened to take to the streets and stage dharnas if the state government fails to engage meaningfully with the crisis in the GHADC.