Shillong, Oct 9: Opposition members in KHADC have expressed concern over the impact of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) on the implementation of the MDC schemes and said it would surely affect those contesting the upcoming state assembly elections to be held early next year.

“The inclusion of GST in the implementation of the MDC schemes, sanctioned under the special assistance grant of the Centre, will no doubt affect the MDCs who are going to contest in the 2018 elections,” Leader of Opposition Manstudy Nongrem told reporters here on Monday.

“As MDCs, we need to get clarification on the matter so that the people we serve may also be enlightened as there are many vested interests who take advantage of the situation by spreading misinformation,” he said.

Nongrem, the senior Congress member and former chief executive member of the KHADC, made the statement after a meeting of all Opposition members from the Congress, UDP and HSPDP.

He informed that Opposition members have unanimously decided to raise the GST issue in the upcoming Council’s session, to be held on October 12 and 13.

According to Nongrem, there is a lot of confusion on the manner the GST is being linked with the MDC schemes, and the tax being deducted from the projects implemented in the different constituencies.

Nongrem said that the main challenge faced is due to the fact that most of the projects under MDC schemes are being implemented by local committee of different villages, managing committee of different schools and others which are not registered contractors.

“We feel that the executive committee of the KHADC has to take steps on this particular manner since the MDC schemes are being extended to local villages, schools and those implemented them are based on the recommendations of the respective MDCs,” he said.

Meanwhile, KHADC CEM, P.N. Syiem has decided to convene an all party meeting to discuss on the GST and VAT on Tuesday.

He urged all the MDCs to attend the meeting.