Jowai, Mar 15: Jaiñtia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) Chief Executive Member (CEM) in-charge of Finance, Thombor Shiwat, on Tuesday tabled a deficit budget of Rs 12.89 crore for the year 2022-23.“The proposed Budget Estimates for the ensuing Financial Year 2022-2023 bear an Estimated Receipts of Rs. 192,05,16,000.00 (Rupees One Hundred ninety two Crore five lakh sixteen Thousand) only against the Estimates Expenditure of Rs. 204,94,48,300.00 (Rupees Two hundred and four Crore ninety four lakh forty eight Thousand three hundred) only,” the CEM said while tabling the budget as two-day Budget Session of JHADC began on Tuesday.

He also added that there are various reasons attributed to the deficit which includes increasing cost of establishment due to annual increment of pay of employees, liabilities of the arrear revise pay of 40% of the members and employees which is not able to be cleared during the current financial year and, thus, has been carried over committed liabilities to the coming financial year, implementation of “The member Pension Act, 2018’ and increasing cost of contingency expenditure due to ever increase in market price index.

During the general discussion, the Opposition MDCs slammed the Executive Committee for being unable to generate funds and that its hands were tied by the state government despite being an autonomous body. They stated that the revenue of the Council should increase if it is willing to tax the eight cement companies under its Jurisdiction in a way of trading licence from the hundreds of trucks that were recently procured by these cement companies.

The House also elected its new Deputy Chairman, Het Pohthmi, who was elected unopposed.