Roy: In control

Shillong, Aug. 1: Meghalaya chief minister Donkupar Roy today said steps would be taken to control excessive expenditure.

Speaking to The Telegraph a day after UDP legislator Ardent Basawmoit resigned from the post of the chairman of the Meghalaya Mineral Development Corporation opposing excessive appointments in various boards and corporations, Roy said the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government was committed to curbing over-expenditure.

“We will put a ceiling on expenditure to be incurred on travel allowance (TA) and dearness allowance(DA) of the chairmen, co-chairmen, vice-chairmen and deputy chairmen and other heads of various corporations and boards,” Roy said.

The finance department had been asked to review the present structure of TA, DA and other allowances of the heads and chairmen of various boards and corporations as a cost-cutting measure, he said.

Roy, however, ruled out reduction in the number of posts of chairmen, vice-chairmen, co-chairmen and deputy chairmen.

“There is a lot of work to do for the development of the state as the MPA has several programmes and policies. For this, we need capable legislators,” Roy said, adding that the ruling coalition would utilise the experience of all those who have been appointed as the heads of various boards and corporations.

Reacting to the resignation of Basaiawmoit, he said: “I have not accepted his resignation. We need him as the chairman of the Meghalaya Mineral Development Corporation as he is capable”.

The chief minister, however, assured the legislator that the government was committed to curb excessive expenditure.

In a letter addressed to Roy yesterday, legislator Basaiawmoit said he had raised the issue of excessive appointments of chairmen, co-chairmen, vice-chairmen and deputy-chairmen in various boards and corporations from time to time at the party level and his conscience did not allow him to continue in the post of the chairman any longer. He also met the media yesterday.