SHILLONG: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has demanded greater transparency in the disbursement of educational grants by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), raising concerns over the absence of mandatory Utilization Certificates (UCs) for funds amounting to over ₹86 lakh.
KHNAM Working President Thomas Passah submitted a memorandum to KHADC Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh and Executive Member in charge of Education Aibandaplin L. Nonglait, urging the Council to enforce strict submission of Utilization Certificates for all education-related grants.
The demand follows disclosures obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which revealed that the KHADC distributed ₹86.04 lakh as educational assistance to individuals, schools, and colleges over the past five financial years.
According to the RTI data, the fund distribution included: ₹22.68 lakh in 2019–20; ₹20.16 lakh in 2020–21; ₹18.72 lakh in 2021–22; No allocation recorded in 2022–23; ₹12.24 lakh in 2023–24 and ₹12.24 lakh in 2024–25.
KHNAM expressed serious concern after the RTI response reportedly confirmed that the Council did not require or compel beneficiaries to submit Utilization Certificates, a key mechanism used to verify whether public funds were spent for their intended purposes.
In his memorandum, Passah stated that failure to enforce UCs creates scope for financial irregularities and undermines accountability in public administration.
He emphasized that with education grant spending nearing the ₹1 crore mark, procedural reforms are urgently needed to prevent misuse of funds and strengthen governance standards within the Council.
The party has now called on the KHADC to immediately introduce stricter monitoring mechanisms and institutional safeguards to ensure transparency and responsible utilisation of public resources.
