₹159.59 crore salary shortfall: Mizoram's autonomous councils say DA, pay revisions, increments straining finances

Mizoram's three autonomous councils are facing a salary shortfall of ₹159.59-crore salary shortfall and appealed seeking intervention from the state government. They said successive pay revisions, DA, annual increments and promotions had increased the financial strain. 

The three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in Mizoram are struggling with combined salary shortfall of ₹159.59 crore, their leaders informed the state government on Wednesday, 7 October, PTI reported.

Chief Executive Members (CEMs) of the Mara, Lai and Chakma ADCs have appealed seeking intervention from the state to ensure adequate funding for the councils, the report added.

• Mara ADC CEM M Laikaw said the salary deficit stood at ₹25.88 crore for his council, ₹69.93 crore for the Lai ADC and ₹63.78 crore for the Chakma ADC.
• More than 90% of the councils' budgets are now being spent on salaries, leaving little for development and other non-salary expenditure, he said.

Successive pay revisions, DA causing strain

The three CEMs said the financial strain had increased with successive pay revisions, dearness allowance (DA), annual increments, promotions and regularisation of employees, while non-salary allocations had remained largely stagnant.

They said the state government provided funds under separate salary and non-salary heads until 2023-24, while from 2024-25 onwards the funding has been provided under the “Grant-in-Aid (General)” head.

The leaders alleged that unlike during the first State Finance Commission period, when additional salary requirements were generally met through Revised Estimates (RE), the ADCs received such additional funding only in 2022-23 during the second commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

This has created difficulties for employees, churches and the general public in the ADC areas, they said.

ADC claims funding allocation disproportionate