Shillong,Mar 28:The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) passed a Rs 215.36 crore full budget for the financial year 2019-2020 during the last day of the budget session here on Thursday.

The budget has a deficit of Rs 48,540 in view that the estimated expenditure at Rs 215,36,17,400 is higher than the revenue receipts of the Council which is estimated at Rs 215,35,68,860.

Earlier while tabling the budget on the first day of the session, deputy chief executive member in-charge finance Pyniaid Sing Syiem assured that the executive committee (EC) will take necessary steps to improve the revenue generation of the Council.

Syiem informed that the Council has recently received Rs 34,97,35,000 as grant sanctioned by the Government of India for the Excluded Areas under Part IX & IX A of the Constitution of India for the year 2018-19. “We hope that the Centre will soon release the balance amount to the Council,” he said.

As for the special assistance of central plan scheme for the same year, he said that the Centre has also released the balance amount of Rs 9,66,68,000 and the implementation of schemes is on.

The deputy chief executive member further assured that the EC will ensure passage of the Village Administration Bill, 2014 to empower the traditional institutions and their heads besides resolving issues related to the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

Syiem said that the EC will also work in close coordination with the state government to speed up the inclusion of Khasi language in the Eight Schedule to the Constitution of India.

“We also find out ways and means to resolve the long pending inter-state boundary dispute with Assam for the interest and security of the people residing at the border,” he added.

According to him, the EC also proposes to promote cultural tourism which can also be a mean to improve the revenue generation of the Council.