Cong MDCs demand release of pending dues as per new scale

TURA, May 25: The entire lot of eleven Congress MDCs in the GHADC on Tuesday urged the executive committee led by CEM Benedic R Marak to release the pending salaries of the employees as per the 5^th Pay Commission, even as they alleged the diversion of funds besides other anomalies in the council.

In a memorandum submitted jointly to CEM Benedic R Marak, the MDCs pointed out that the then executive committee had approved and passed a resolution to release the salaries as per the revised scale and urged the new EC to initiate measures to do the same.

“We urged you to negotiate with the Chief Minister and take the decision to clear the pending salaries of the employees as early as possible,” the MDCs said.

The MDCs also said it was brought to their knowledge that an attempt was being made to divert the tied grants of the 15^th Finance Commission, an amount of Rs 91 crore meant for the GHADC to the Jal Jeevan Mission.

“The GHADC has its own implementing department for water supply and sanitation and the same has been functioning in the preceding years. As per the Finance Commission guidelines, rural local bodies should be the implementing agencies of these funds and we disapprove the move to divert the same. We urged you to take up the matter with the Chief Minister to release the funds meant for the GHADC,” the MDCs said in their memorandum.

Reacting to the recent public advertisement of the MBDA inviting proposals from eligible entries for Design, Development and Maintenance of Information and Communication Technology services for the Taxation Department which is funded by JICA, the MDCs said, “Why are such projects being outsourced to outside agencies? We want to know whether any agreement was made in black and white before allowing foreign agencies outside the purview and jurisdiction of the GHADC”.

Stating that such moves intrude into the autonomy of the district council and defeat the very meaning of autonomous council, the MDCs demanded that the EC recall all advertisements and revoke all agreements made by the previous EC.