Raphael Warjri

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Tuesday strongly criticised the Meghalaya government’s decision to take over the payment of salaries to employees of the three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) — the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), and the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) — beginning November 1, 2025.

HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem described the move as politically driven, particularly in light of the forthcoming GHADC elections, noting that GHADC staff have remained unpaid for the past 46 months. He alleged that the government’s decision was aimed at gaining electoral advantage rather than addressing the councils’ structural financial problems.

Synrem also questioned the legal basis of the arrangement, pointing to provisions under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which grant ADCs financial autonomy through their own sources of revenue, such as taxes and royalties. He warned that transferring control of salary disbursements to the state government could undermine this autonomy, effectively making council employees answerable to the government instead of the ADCs.

The HYC leader further sought clarification on whether the salary expenditure would be adjusted against funds earmarked for the councils or shouldered independently by the state government. He argued that rather than taking what he termed a “short-sighted” step, the government should focus on strengthening institutional mechanisms within the ADCs by helping them enforce financial discipline and curb wasteful spending.

Underscoring the constitutional importance of the councils, Synrem maintained that the priority should be to empower them to generate and manage their own resources. He cautioned that making the ADCs financially dependent on the state would weaken their functioning and erode their constitutional mandate.