TURA : The Meghalaya BJP on Saturday criticised the continued delay in salary payments to employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), saying the prolonged financial crisis has exposed the failure of the reforms promised to the autonomous body.
State BJP Vice-President and Tura MDC Bernard N. Marak urged the District Council Affairs (DCA) Department to immediately release the pending funds so that employees can finally receive their long-overdue salaries.Marak said the NPP-led Executive Committee had secured an extension of its tenure after assuring employees and the people of Garo Hills that it would introduce reforms, make salary payments regular and clear all pending dues. “Employees were promised regular salaries and meaningful reforms, but those assurances have yet to become reality, leaving many families in financial distress,” he said.
He said he has already taken up the matter with the DCA Department and requested officials to clear the pending files at the earliest so that the funds can be released without any further delay. “There is absolutely no reason why GHADC employees should continue waiting for salaries that are already long overdue,” Marak said. Marak also questioned the outcome of the reform measures introduced by the State Government for the GHADC. “The reforms were meant to strengthen the council, but instead they have only increased its dependence on the State Government,” he alleged. He further claimed that delaying the release of funds weakens the constitutional autonomy of the GHADC. “Holding back funds raises serious concerns that financial control is being used to influence the functioning of the council rather than empower it,” he said.
Although the BJP is a partner in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), Marak’s remarks amount to a sharp criticism of the handling of the GHADC’s financial affairs and the implementation of the promised reforms. Apart from the salary issue, Marak also raised concerns over allegations of illegal transportation of coal and boulders in Garo Hills. He referred to reports claiming that fake challans, duplicate documents and vehicles operating without valid Transit and Timber (TNT) permits and Transit Passes (TPs) were being used to transport minerals. “If these allegations are found to be true, they would represent a serious loss of public revenue and deserve an independent and transparent investigation,” he said.
Marak also said that, following his request, the GHADC Executive Committee had adopted a resolution to verify TNT permits, Transit Passes and challans of trucks transporting coal and boulders across Garo Hills. “Despite the resolution being passed, no implementation order has been issued so far, raising questions about the authorities’ commitment to enforcing the law and protecting public resources,” he added.
He again appealed to the DCA Department to release the pending salary funds without delay. According to him, the continued withholding of funds not only causes hardship to employees but also goes against the assurances made under the Tripartite Agreement and the constitutional safeguards guaranteed to autonomous district councils under the Sixth Schedule.
“The people of Garo Hills deserve a government that keeps its promises, respects the autonomy of the GHADC and upholds transparency and accountability. Commitments made to the public must always be matched by action,” Marak said.