Shillong, June 18: A heated exchange marked the second day of the Summer Session of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Thursday as Mawshynrut MDC Bah Shraly Rashir criticised the VPP-led Executive Committee (EC) over the delay in releasing development grants under the 15th Finance Commission.
Raising the issue in the House, Rashir sought details on the status of the Tied Grant 2022–2023 and Untied Grant 2022–2023 and questioned the pace of implementation of projects under the two schemes.
His concerns were echoed by Nongshken MDC Kong Grace Mary Kharpuri, Mairang MDC Bah Equator L. Nongrang and Leader of Opposition as well as Sohra MDC Bah Titostarwell Chyne, who raised supplementary questions seeking clarity on the delay in the release of funds.
Responding to the queries, the Executive Member in charge of the Development Department informed the House about the progress made in preparing and processing projects under the grants and outlined the steps taken by the department to comply with procedural requirements.
However, Rashir expressed dissatisfaction with the response, contending that the implementation process has been moving at an unacceptably slow pace.
He said the Executive Committee had earlier instructed all MDCs to submit lists of beneficiaries and villages along with the necessary details required for preparing the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). According to him, the MDCs had complied with all the requirements laid down by the VPP-led Executive Committee, yet there has been no visible release of funds.
Taking a swipe at the ruling Executive Committee, Rashir remarked that the situation resembled the popular saying, “the elephant’s teeth are shown, but the elephant itself is still in the jungle,” suggesting that while promises and announcements had been made, the actual implementation of schemes was yet to materialise.
He said residents across various constituencies have been waiting for the benefits of these schemes and questioned why the grants remain unreleased despite the completion of the required formalities.
The Mawshynrut MDC urged the Executive Committee to provide a clear timeline for the release of the funds and explain the measures being taken to ensure that the intended beneficiaries receive the benefits of the 15th Finance Commission schemes without further delay.
The issue once again brought to the fore concerns over delays in the implementation of development programmes within the KHADC and sparked a broader debate on accountability and the timely delivery of benefits to the people.
