Shillong, Aug 7: The Meghalaya government has approved amendments to the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules 2006, empowering the Joint Secretary of the District Council Affairs (DCA) department with financial powers.
The DCA will now serve as the single nodal department for disbursing revenue shares to the three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in Meghalaya, streamlining the process for greater speed, transparency, and efficiency, marking a major reform in managing the department.
Addressing media persons after chairing a cabinet meeting, chief minister Conrad K Sangma said the district councils get revenue or their share from the transport department, mining department and forest department. So whenever the district council used to follow up the procedures to get their share, they had to follow up with three different levels and three different departments and the process was very tedious, he added.
“Therefore, we have decided as a government to ease the process of delegating and distributing revenues that DCA will now be the concerned nodal department to disburse all the revenue shares to the district councils and they will not have to go to mining, forests and transport. So now to streamline that procedure, the financial delegation and the powers must be also with the joint secretary of the DCA as there is no head of department (HOD) of DCA so the joint secretary is the same level as HOD or Director. Therefore, in line with that to ensure that this decision is implemented properly the financial powers will now be delegated to the joint secretary of the DCA,” Sangma said while emphasizing that today’s decision will be a very important reform in terms of the working system of the DCA.
The chief minister also informed that the cabinet has also approved a proposal to grant the financial powers to the director of prosecution.
Meanwhile, the cabinet has also approved amendments of seven services rules that include:
Meghalaya Subordinate Treasury Accounts Service Rules, Meghalaya Urban Affairs Service Rules, 2024, Meghalaya Nursing Homes & Licensing Registration Rules, 2015, Meghalaya Judicial Service Rules 2006 and Meghalaya Judicial Rules, 2015, Meghalaya Police Telecommunication Service Rules, 2010, Meghalaya Directorate Establishment Administration Rules, 2005.
