Solve Problem of Normal Employees’ Salary’ Permanently and Revoke Norms of Subash Das Commission Report

Dima Hasao should not be a slave to Assam Government when the agreement between N.C. Hills Autonomous Council and  Assam Government is reached in releasing the fund for payment of pending salaries of “Normal Employees” of N.C. Hills Autonomous Council. 

It is certain that when such fund is provided to the Council, Assam Government will make the leaders of the Council accept the terms and conditions of some recommendations/norms such as that of Subash Das Commission Report, in which several clauses are quite detrimental to the interests of N.C. Hills Autonomous Council. In this regard, It is not the provisions enshrined in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India that they are  faulty or defective which let the functioning of the Council result in bringing about financial indiscipline in the Council and so, norms/rules be framed so as to bring about financial discipline in the functioning of the Council. 

It is, in fact, because of the misrule of some of the successive Council leaders indulged in the misuse of powers and functions of the Council since its inception that it has resulted in such a financial mismanagement in the Council of Dima Hasao district. So, it is the duty of the Government to initiate action as per law against the guilty found involved in financial irregularities, corruption, nepotism and other malpractices in the Council rather than to frame such norms/recommendations which are against the interests of N.C. Hills Autonomous Council. Superficially some of the clauses in Subash Das Commission seems appropriate/right, but practically there is a lot of loopholes in the recommendations of the said Report which can facilitate the State Government to systematically curtail the powers and functions of the Council.  One such example of descriptions/norms in Subash Das Commission Report which is against the interests of the Council is that the Council, which could previously appoint vacant posts of 3^rd and 4^th  grades available under the entrusted department, now cannot do so without the prior approval of (SIU) Finance Department of Assam Government. Hence, the norms of this Commission Report should be revoked in the greater interest of N.C. Hills Autonomous Council and it is high time the State Government took measures to immediately release an adequate amount of fund for payment of salaries of Normal Employees of the Council, without any terms and conditions being imposed on the Council. But it seems there is still the Government’s apathy towards the serious problem of fund for Normal employees salary, which needs to be urgently solved, in Dima Hasao district. 

 Besides, there cannot be a permanent solution to the perennial problems of ‘Normal employees’ salaries  and the financial plight of “Normal employees” salary in Dima Hasao will be worsening, until and unless the problem of fund shortage for regular payment of salaries, based on revised pay scale  and other allowances, of Normal employees of the Council is permanently solved at the Central Government Level through its arrangement to annually provide sufficient amount of fund especially for Normal Employees’ salary such as under Article-275(1) of Indian Constitution to N.C. Hills Autonomous Council. 

Suraj Naiding,

Former Executive Member of N.C.Hills Autonomous Council, Haflong