Meghalaya: KHADC, SMB clash over 15th Finance Commission project tenders

Guwahati: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) are facing a dispute after the SMB refused to suspend the ongoing tendering process for projects funded under the 15th Finance Commission.

Powell Sohkhlet, KHADC Executive Member for Development, stated that the newly formed Executive Committee had requested the SMB to pause tenders for the construction of roads, drains, and footpaths in several urban constituencies under the Council’s jurisdiction.

The SMB reportedly declined, explaining that it was too late to stop the process since the projects need to be completed within the 15th Finance Commission’s specified timeframe.

Earlier, independent Laban-Mawprem MDC Ricky Shullai criticized the SMB’s move, calling it a breach of the Sixth Schedule.

He said he had avoided submitting proposals for new schemes, as most localities in his constituency are urban and thus not eligible for projects implemented through Rural Local Bodies (RLBs).

“How can I submit proposals when only Lawsohtun qualifies under the RLBs? It would be unfair since most areas in Laban and Mawprem are urban,” Shullai remarked. He described the SMB’s decision to carry out schemes in urban KHADC constituencies as “unprecedented” and said it undermines the authority of the District Council.

Sharing similar concerns, three Voice of the People Party MDCs, Strongpillar Kharjana (Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah), Deity H. Majaw (Malki-Laitumkhrah), and Denzil R. Chen (Jaiaw), accused the SMB of bypassing them by issuing tenders without consultation.

They stated that they had originally proposed these projects for budget allocation under the 15th Finance Commission.

The SMB initiated the tender process on August 27 for infrastructure projects involving the construction of motorable roads, drains, and footpaths across the constituencies of Jaiaw, Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah, Laban-Mawprem, and Laitumkhrah-Malki.