By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 26: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) are on a collision course after the latter declined to suspend the ongoing tendering process for projects funded under the 15th Finance Commission.
KHADC Executive Member in charge of Development, Powell Sohkhlet, said that the new Executive Committee (EC) had asked the SMB to halt the tenders related to the construction of roads, drains, and footpaths in several urban constituencies under the Council’s jurisdiction.
He said that the SMB expressed its inability to comply, stating that it was already too late to halt the process, as the schemes must be implemented within the stipulated time frame of the 15th Finance Commission.
Earlier, independent Laban-Mawprem MDC Ricky Shullai slammed the SMB’s move, terming it a violation of the Sixth Schedule.
He said that he had refrained from submitting any proposals for new schemes since most localities under his constituency fall under urban areas, which are not eligible for projects implemented through the Rural Local Bodies (RLBs).
“How can I submit proposals when only Lawsohtun is eligible under the RLBs? It would be unfair since most areas in Laban and Mawprem are urban,” he stated.
The MDC further described the SMB’s decision to implement schemes in urban KHADC constituencies as “unprecedented” and undermining the authority of the District Council.
Echoing similar concerns, three Voice of the People Party MDCs — Strongpillar Kharjana (Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah), Deity H. Majaw (Malki-Laitumkhrah), and Denzil R. Chen (Jaiaw) — accused the SMB of bypassing them by issuing tenders without consultation. They claimed that they had originally proposed these projects for budget allocation under the 15th Finance Commission.
The SMB floated the tenders on August 27, covering works such as the construction of motorable roads, drains, and footpaths across the constituencies of Jaiaw, Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah, Laban-Mawprem, and Laitumkhrah-Malki.
