Shillong, Sept 1: The Jaintia National Council has voiced serious concerns over the state government’s decision to take over the salaries of Autonomous District Council employees, warning that it could have potential implications on their autonomy and financial stability.
Questioning the legal basis for the decision, the JNC asked, “Which section of the Sixth Schedule empowers the government to disburse salaries to ADC employees? The Sixth Schedule does not seem to contain any provision that permits the government to pay council employees’ salaries. Will this be legally sustainable? What effects will this have on the autonomy of the ADCs? Could this potentially weaken the authority of the ADCs? Hasn’t the state already intruded upon the ADCs’ functions through its personnel? Will ADC employees be regarded solely as state employees or as council employees? Is state approval necessary for new ADC appointments? If the state is responsible for salary payments, does this imply that the MDCs have become mere extensions of the state?”
It further asked: “Will these salaries be deducted from the ADCs’ revenue generated from sources like minerals, transport, and forestry? Does the state impose a professional tax, or is this the ADC’s responsibility? Where will the state government source the funds to cover the salaries of all three ADCs?”
Proposing solutions aimed at achieving financial stability for the ADCs, the JNC said the ADCs should work on enhancing their financial resources to prevent future crises in financial management. The ADCs should limit their appointments to what they can financially sustain.
“The State Government must provide a comprehensive and transparent account of the revenue generated from minerals, transport, and forestry. It should be explicitly stated how much revenue belongs to the ADCs and how much to the state, ensuring that the ADCs receive their share promptly,” it asserted.
