Context:
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) recently flagged the “mass migration” of people from ethnic strife-torn Manipur to the State’s capital Shillong and adjoining areas.
Relevance:
GS II: Polity and Governance
Dimension of the Article:
- About Autonomous District Councils (ADC)
- Functions
- Revenue Sources
About Autonomous District Councils (ADC)
- Autonomous District Councils (ADC) are an important feature of the Sixth Schedule in the Indian Constitution. Here are some key details about ADCs:
- Tribal Areas: The Sixth Schedule designates ten tribal areas in Assam (3), Meghalaya (3), Tripura (1), and Mizoram (3) as autonomous districts.
- Composition: Each autonomous district has its own Autonomous District Council (ADC). ADCs consist of up to 30 members, with a term of five years. Four members are nominated by the governor, and the remaining 26 members are elected through adult franchise.
- Tenure: The District Councils serve a term of five years from the date of their constitution.
Functions: ADCs have several functions as defined in the Sixth Schedule:
- Making laws on land
- Management of forests (except reserved forests)
- Appointment of traditional chiefs and headmen
- Making rules regulating inheritance of property, marriage, divorce, and constitution of village courts
- Establishing, constructing, or managing primary schools, dispensaries, markets, ferries, fisheries, roads, etc., in the district
- Making regulations for the control of money lending and trading by non-tribals (with the governor’s assent)
Revenue Sources:
The main revenue sources of ADCs, as specified in the Sixth Schedule, include:
- Taxes on professions, trades, callings, and employment
- Taxes on animals, vehicles, and boats
- Taxes on the entry of goods into a market and their sale
- Toll taxes on passengers and goods carried on ferries
- Taxes for the maintenance of schools, dispensaries, or roads
-Source: The Hindu
