Shillong, February 16: The Chairman of the Forum of Councils Under Sixth Schedule (FOCUSS) Mr Pynsnghian N Syiem Chief Executive Member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) said that they have decided to submit a memorandum to the prime minister of India, to asked the central government for creation a separate Minister for the Autonomous District Council under the Sixth Schedule.
Briefing the reporters after the FOCUSS meeting held at the KHADC, Mr Syiem said that the meeting was called to discuss on the budget allocation from the Government of India to the ADCs of the North Eastern State where the budget allocation has been reduce to Rs.1.00 core in the financial year from Rs.1000 core in 2016-2017 and for the financial year 2017-2018 was earmark only Rs. 500 cores.
In the meeting it was decided that, a delegation from the FOCUSS will go and meet the Finance minister government of India to apprise him about the delay by the ADCs in submitting their Utilization Certificate on thus scheme founded by the central Government. The fault is not with the ADCs but due to the delay in releasing the found from respective state government to ADCs and the guideline issued by the NITTI AAYOG come very late.
The main reason given by the Government of India in cutting the budget allocation to the ADCs in this financial year 2016-2017 to just Ts.1.00 care is due to non submission of the Utilization Certificate by the ADCs, where the fault is not from the ADCs but due to the delay in getting the guideline from the NITTI AAYOG and state government not releasing the fund on time to the ADCs.
The delegation of all the CEMs of the ADCs of the North Eastern State will seek for an appointment with the prime minister by the end of this month February or by the first week on the Month of March. This meeting they have also decided to write to all the Chief Minister of the North Eastern state and all MPs to take up the issued with the central government.
In the memorandum that they will be submitting to the prime minister they will asked for the relaxation that if the ADCs could submit their UC up to 70% the central government should consider in budget allocation to the ADCs, in this meeting they have also decided that thus Autonomous Council who were in the Seventh Schedule also to be part of FOCUSS so that they can take up the issued with the central government jointly.
The Lok Sabha MP from Tura Mr Conrad K Sangma was also invited to this FOCUSS meeting as special invitee to have firsthand knowledge the problems face by the ADCs of the North Eastern state in getting the fund sanction from the Government of India.
