The three Autonomous District Councils of Meghalaya—KHADC, JHADC, and GHADC—have collectively requested more than ₹8,000 crore from the 16th Finance Commission for the upcoming five years.
Speaking to the media after a meeting with Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, in Shillong, the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Shri Pyniaid Sing Syiem, stated that KHADC is requesting ₹2,641.54 crore, JHADC ₹1,019.60 crore, and GHADC ₹5,042.30 crore, bringing the total request to ₹8,877.51 crore for the 2025-2029 period.
Shri Pyniaid emphasized the request for the district councils to receive their grants through the Department of North Eastern Region (DoNER) or North Eastern Council (NEC) rather than the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, as the district councils fall under Article 244R of the Sixth Schedule, unlike Panchayati Raj, which falls under Article 243.
The councils also suggested relaxing certain conditions in the Untied Grant provisions, as many of the rules do not align with the state’s specific needs. Furthermore, the district councils requested a special revenue deficit grant due to ongoing financial challenges.
Additionally, the KHADC proposed creating a town and village police force, with plans to recruit 3,000 personnel, including 1,500 women.
