SHILLONG, July 18: The state BJP on Saturday said the prolonged non-payment of salaries to employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) represents a betrayal of public trust and has cast serious doubts on the effectiveness of the reforms promised for the autonomous body.
The party urged the District Council Affairs (DCA) Department to immediately release the pending funds.
State BJP vice president and Tura MDC Bernard N. Marak said the NPP-led Executive Committee secured an extension of its tenure after assuring employees and the public that it would undertake reforms, regularise salary payments, and clear the backlog of pending dues.
“However, those commitments have remained unfulfilled, leaving employees and their families to endure prolonged financial hardship,” he said, adding that he had taken up the issue with the DCA Department so that the pending files are cleared and funds released fast.
“There is no justification for the continued delay in disbursing salaries,” Marak said.
He questioned the outcome of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma’s widely publicised reform measures for the GHADC, alleging that instead of strengthening the institution, they made the council increasingly dependent on the state government.
He claimed that the delay in releasing funds undermined the constitutional autonomy of the GHADC and said that financial control was being used to exert political pressure rather than empower the autonomous institution.
Although the BJP is a constituent of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, Marak’s remarks are seen as a sharp criticism of the handling of the GHADC’s financial affairs and the implementation of the promised reforms.
The BJP leader also drew attention to allegations of illegal transportation of coal and boulders through the use of fake challans, duplicate documents, and vehicles allegedly operating without valid Transit and Timber (TNT) permits and Transit Passes (TPs). He said that the allegations, if found to be true, would constitute a serious loss of public revenue and warrant an independent and transparent investigation.
He said that, at his request, the GHADC Executive Committee adopted a resolution to verify the TNT permits, TPs, and challans of trucks transporting coal and boulders across Garo Hills. “However, the council has not issued any implementation order despite the resolution, raising questions over the authorities’ commitment to enforcing the law and safeguarding public resources,” he said.
Marak urged the DCA Department to release the pending funds to the GHADC employees fast. He contended that the continued withholding of funds was not only causing hardship to employees but was also inconsistent with the assurances made under the Tripartite Agreement and contrary to the constitutional safeguards provided under the Sixth Schedule.
He said the people of Garo Hills deserved a government that honoured its commitments, respected the autonomy of the GHADC, and upheld transparency and accountability, adding that political promises must ultimately be matched by concrete action.
