SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has dismissed allegations of delay in sanctioning development projects, asserting that the Executive Committee (EC) is actively implementing schemes under the 15th Finance Commission.
Executive Member (EM) in charge of Development, Powell Sohklet, clarified that the Council is overseeing a major development drive involving projects worth approximately ₹56 crore.
According to Sohklet, the EC invited proposals from all MDCs to ensure balanced and inclusive development across constituencies. A total of 2,457 project proposals have been received so far.
The projects have been divided into two major categories — Tied Grants (Essential Services) involving 1,425 projects worth over ₹34 crore, covering drinking water supply, sanitation, toilet construction, and procurement of waste management vehicles.
Then there is the Untied Grants (Infrastructure Development) involving 1,022 projects worth around ₹22 crore, focusing on construction of footpaths, development of football grounds, and renovation of schools.
Addressing concerns over delays, Sohklet attributed the slowdown to stringent technical requirements under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj’s e-Gram Swaraj portal, which mandates online auditing and tracking of projects.
He stated that members of the EC had personally visited New Delhi to raise technical issues with Union Ministers. Following the successful completion of required audits, the Ministry released the second installment of over ₹12 crore for the 2021–22 fiscal year.
Responding to complaints about unpaid bills, the EM explained that payments undergo a detailed 13-step verification process across departments, typically taking around 15 days.
He clarified that only 24 projects, amounting to nearly ₹1 crore, currently have pending payments, which are expected to be cleared soon. Sohklet emphasized that there is no favoritism toward any constituency under the present Executive Committee.
While expressing confidence that most pending proposals would be cleared under the ongoing 15th Finance Commission cycle, Sohklet noted that if the central timeline expires, the remaining projects would be carried forward under the 16th Finance Commission framework.
