By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 29: Opposition MDCs in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) have expressed concern over the lack of clarity regarding schemes proposed under the 15th Finance Commission, stating that they have not received any official communication on their status.
Speaking to reporters, KHADC Opposition leader Titosstarwell Chyne said despite claims by the Executive Committee (EC) that funds have been released, no formal intimation confirming the sanction of the proposed schemes has been received.
“As MDCs, we have not received anything officially. We have only seen statements from the EC claiming that funds have been released, but there is no confirmation that our schemes have been approved,” Chyne said.
He added that the proposals submitted by MDCs pertain to the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 financial years, while no opportunity was provided to submit proposals for the 2024–2025 fiscal.
The Opposition leader said there is uncertainty over whether the pending schemes would be accommodated, especially with the 16th Finance Commission expected to take effect after March.
Earlier, the EC had rejected allegations of delay, maintaining that it is actively implementing development projects under the 15th Finance Commission.
Executive Member in charge of Development, Powell Sohkhlet had said the council is overseeing projects worth approximately Rs 56 crore across constituencies.
According to Sohkhlet, the EC had invited proposals from all MDCs to ensure balanced development, receiving a total of 2,457 project proposals. These have been categorised into two segments—1,425 projects under Tied Grants worth over Rs 34 crore, focusing on essential services such as drinking water, sanitation, and waste management; and 1,022 projects under Untied Grants worth around Rs 22 crore, aimed at infrastructure development, including footpaths, playgrounds, and school renovations.
Addressing concerns over delays, Sohkhlet attributed the slowdown to technical requirements under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj’s e-Gram Swaraj portal, which mandates detailed online auditing and tracking of projects.
He stated that EC members had taken up the matter with Union Ministers in New Delhi, following which the Centre released the second instalment of over Rs 12 crore for the 2021–22 financial year after completion of required audits.
On complaints regarding pending payments, Sohkhlet had explained that bills undergo a 13-step verification process across departments, which typically takes about 15 days. He added that only 24 projects, amounting to nearly Rs 1 crore, currently have pending payments and are expected to be cleared soon.
The EM had also asserted that there is no favouritism in the allocation of projects under the present EC and expressed confidence that most proposals would be cleared within the current Finance Commission cycle. He, however, had noted that any remaining projects could be carried forward under the 16th Finance Commission, if required.
