Guwahati: The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) has urged the Meghalaya government to release Rs 10 crore per month to ensure the timely payment of salaries to its members and staff.
Council leaders raised this demand during a recent meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and legislators from the Jaintia Hills region.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
JHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Thombor Shiwat said the council struggles to pay salaries regularly due to inconsistent and delayed release of its share of royalties from major and minor minerals.
He requested that the government allocate the Rs 10 crore monthly and adjust it quarterly against the council’s share of royalties and taxes on motor vehicles.
Shiwat also pressed the government to restore the earlier system for royalty payments related to mineral extraction in Jaintia Hills.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
According to him, royalties from these resources form a key revenue source for the council, supporting its administrative operations.
Previously, the Directorate of Mineral Resources office in Jowai handled mineral challans, and the Treasury Office shared those records with the council.
However, Shiwat noted that in recent years, the government directed that these challans be issued and paid at the Directorate’s office in Shillong.
As a result, the council no longer receives detailed information about mineral extraction from its jurisdiction, limiting its ability to track dues.
Shiwat highlighted the lack of transparency, saying the council does not know the exact volume of minerals extracted or the royalty amounts it should receive.
He called for the state to share royalty proceeds based on gross collections, rather than after deducting collection costs.
Shiwat further pointed out that the government has not shared royalties collected through Incidental Challans, issued for minerals extracted unintentionally within the council’s territory.
He demanded equal treatment of such royalties, on par with standard mineral challans.
Calling for a review of outdated royalty rates, Shiwat urged the state to revise and increase the rates for both major and minor minerals, stating they had remained unchanged for years.
He emphasized that updating these rates could significantly boost revenue collection for both the state and the council.