Tura, Feb 10: There is good news for the cash strapped GHADC and its unpaid employees despite the ongoing protests by pressure groups wanting ouster of its new CEM Rakesh A Sangma with the Meghalaya Government sanctioning money amounting to Rs 20 Crore on Wednesday from the Minerals Resources Department to the district council.

The sanction comes after last week’s meeting between new CEM Rakesh A Sangma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in Shillong.

The new CEM had defeated rebel NPP leader of the council and outgoing CEM Benedic R Marak in a no-confidence motion and subsequent election for the CEM post, last week.

Soon after his victory in the CEM election, Rakesh A Sangma rushed to Shillong to call on the chief minister and raise the issue of council royalty to clear pending salaries of his employees.

The sanction letter for Rs 20 Crore released by Mr F R Marak, the Under Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Mining and Geology Department states that the money is sanction of advance payment of share of Royalty on Major Minerals to the GHADC.

The amount as sanctioned above is made available by way of advance from the Contingency Fund as sanctioned by the Finance Department, states the government order to the GHADC.

With the royalty money being released, the employees of GHADC are going to be paid four months of pending salary, informed GHADC officials.

As per the existing scale being given to the employees, approximately four crores of rupees is required for salary disbursement every month in the district council. The GHADC, on its part, is barely able to generate revenue to the tune of one crore rupees in a month.