Shillong: The Meghalaya government has cleared an advance package of nearly ₹50 crore to help the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) clear its long-pending salary arrears and ensure timely payment of employees’ wages from November 1.
Announcing the decision on Tuesday, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the package includes ₹24–25 crore from GHADC’s share of state taxes and another ₹25 crore as an advance to cover around 12 months of backlog. The money will be credited to an ESCROW account to guarantee its exclusive use for salaries.
“This is not a bailout or special intervention,” Sangma clarified. “we are releasing the advance of the royalty and the shares that they have which is their dues and from the future.”
The move follows recommendations from a committee under the District Council Affairs Department, which recently submitted a report after consultations with GHADC. As part of the agreement, the council has also accepted the appointment of an IAS officer as Principal Secretary, with a proposal to designate the Deputy Commissioner as ex-officio Principal Secretary.
Support for the package is strong within GHADC, with nearly 800 of its 1,200–1,300 employees giving written consent in favour of the arrangement. Sangma noted that while the Executive Committee will finalise the modalities, the state’s role is to ensure the release of funds so that employees are paid without further delay.
The chief minister also reminded that the state government has consistently stepped in to support GHADC in recent years. “In the last four-and-a-half years, salaries for about 42 months have been cleared, much of it through additional advances released by the government,” he said.
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