Aizawl: The three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in Mizoram are facing a combined salary shortfall of Rs 159.59 crore, allegedly due to inadequate fund allocation and a system of parallel administration, a leader said.

The Chief Executive Members (CEMs) of the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC), Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) and Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) made the statement at a press conference here, where they appealed to the state government and Governor to intervene and ensure adequate funding for the councils.

According to MADC CEM M. Laikaw, the salary deficit currently stands at Rs 25.88 crore for MADC, Rs 69.93 crore for LADC and Rs 63.78 crore for CADC.

He said that more than 90 per cent of the ADC budgets are now being spent on salaries, leaving very little money for development and other non-salary expenditure.

The three ADC chiefs claimed that the financial strain had intensified as salary expenditure continued to rise due to pay revisions, dearness allowance, annual increments, promotions and regularisation of employees, while non-salary allocations remained largely stagnant.

They said that from 2015-16 to 2023-24, funds were provided by the state government under separate salary and non-salary heads, and from 2024-25 onwards, the funding has been provided under the head “Grant-in-Aid (General)”.

During the five-year period of the first State Finance Commission (2015-16 to 2019-20), even though the Commission recommendations did not include funds for salary-related expenses such as DA, annual increments, promotion and regularisation of officers and staff, the state government generally met such additional requirements through Revised Estimates (RE), they said.

The leaders alleged that, unfortunately, during the second State Finance Commission recommendation period, covering 2021-22 to 2025-26, the ADCs were not provided Revised Estimates except for the 2022-23 financial year after the present Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government assumed office.

This has created serious difficulties for employees, churches and the general public in the ADC areas, they said.

Laikaw claimed that the three ADC areas account for around 16 per cent of Mizoram’s population, according to the 2011 Census, but receive only around 4 per cent of the state’s funds.

The three ADC leaders also alleged that the state government’s decision to continue operating departments in ADC areas despite their entrustment to the councils under Paragraph 6(2) of the Sixth Schedule had resulted in “parallel or dual administration”.

While departments such as Agriculture, Veterinary, PWD and Fisheries have been entrusted to the ADCs, the state government continues to implement departmental functions, developmental works and schemes in the council areas, they said.

They pointed out that the state government had entrusted 20 departments to the three ADCs in 1993, but had not fully transferred the corresponding developmental works and schemes to the councils.

A Gupta Commission constituted by the state government had recommended in 2011 that departments entrusted to the ADCs, along with developmental works and schemes, be fully transferred to them, but the recommendation has not been implemented, they claimed.

Laikaw said that they submitted representations to Governor Vijay Kumar Singh and Chief Minister Lalduhoma, seeking immediate intervention to address their financial crisis and ensure their constitutional powers and entitlements.

He also appealed for the release of funds through Revised Estimates to meet the salary liabilities.