Shillong: Nokma Sani Union leaders want direct control over government funds. They claim contractors are stealing money meant for local villages. The group met Saturday in South Garo Hills at a Chokpot Sub-Division event. They say rural and urban local body cash is getting diverted. Contractors handle the money instead of traditional heads.
This leads to massive graft. Many contractors cannot even provide the necessary Utilisation Certificates for their projects. Added GST burdens make balancing the books nearly impossible. Only 60 per cent of sanctioned Rural Local Body funds ever reached their destination. Nearly 40 per cent remains unpaid. Projects sit abandoned.
The union issued a firm statement regarding the current state of affairs. “The Nokmas strongly condemn the continued exclusion of the Traditional Local Bodies from planning and implementation of development schemes that directly concern their villages. We assert that the funds were intended to empower local governance at the grassroots level, not to create opportunities for contractors at the expense of the people,” they said.
Tura MDC Bernard N. Marak attended the session as chief guest. He signed the Tripartite Agreement and backs the push for more transparency. He demands that public money hits local government structures directly. The Nokmas plan to spread this awareness across every Garo Hills district. They aim to protect their Sixth Schedule rights.
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