Meghalaya Govt steps in to aid District Councils, salaries to be paid by state
Shillong, Aug 25: In a landmark move to rescue the financially strained Autonomous District Councils in the state, particularly the GHADC where hundreds of employees remain unpaid for 43 long months, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has announced that the state government will take over the payment of salaries for employees of the three ADCs with effect from the first week of November, this year.
The chief minister made it known that the role of the state would solely be to help the councils in the payment of salaries.
The chief minister made the announcement after a threadbare discussion with the GHADC on its financial crisis. “We have come to realize that there are a lot of challenges the councils are facing all over the state. In the GHADC, the salaries required annually are Rs 70 plus crores whereas the revenues don’t even touch Rs 30 Crores. There is a huge deficiency and a gap between revenue and expenditure,” said Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, adding that similar conditions also prevail in the other two autonomous district councils- KHADC and JHADC, where financial problems are being faced.
The decision comes as a lifeline for hundreds of GHADC employees who have gone unpaid for 43 months due to the Council’s severe financial crisis.
“Coming November 1st 2025, the Meghalaya Government will be paying the salaries for the different autonomous district councils. This will be a historic moment where once the salaries are paid, the different ADCs can focus on the different areas of concern, and development aspects, and different traditions and aspects of culture,” said the chief minister.
He added that the procedure to ensure this is implemented in a proper manner will be worked out by a committee that will engage with all the three ADCs. The committee has been given 45 days to engage with all the councils and ensure systems are put in place to ensure salaries are paid to its employees.
Putting to rest any speculation that may be raised by vested interest groups, the chief minister assured that there would be no interference in the day-to day functioning of the district councils or its jurisdiction.
“Our intention is only to bring financial stability, a proper system, so that the councils are able to pay salaries on time, so that they can continue to function and work as per the mandate of the Constitution,” said Conrad Sangma.
On the same day, the chief minister also met with the Meghalaya Governor and briefed him on the latest developments aimed at pulling the cash-strapped councils out of its current situation. “As per his (Governor) decision, these decisions are going to be finalized and in the Cabinet tomorrow we will be taking these decisions to ensure every aspect of what was discussed with the Honorable Governor will be implemented in letter and spirit.”
