Editor,
Given the mess Shillong is in, with different State Departments stuck due to enormous lack of political will from the State Cabinet and the non-functional District Councils, all working at cross purposes, may we ask for some action and less talk from the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary and the army of officials and staff under the Director Urban Affairs Dept, Govt of Meghalaya, to take up a few urgent priorities to restore Shillong City to British-era glory?
The Urban Affairs Department must (a) take steps to come down with heavy hand on all roadside hawkers, selling pan & cigarette, vegetable shops, unhygienic chana carts, seen along the roadside and in front of many hospitals (b) engage the Deputy Commissioners, local Police Stations, Home Guards, Local Dorbars, excess staff, in Shillong to jointly clamp down on the roadside hawkers (c) deploy excess staff to help the law enforcement wing of the Police and Urban Affairs Dept to arrest the hawkers irrespective of political affiliations and ensure they are sent back by JNNURM buses to where they came from (d) continue the crack down hourly and on a daily basis for one year continuously as done in the capital of India till such time discipline is achieved on the streets of Shillong, Nongstoin, Mairang, Jowai, Sohra, and Tura (e) crack down ruthlessly, demolish, summon and impose heavy penalties on all land owners who have commercial and residential constructions violating the Meghalaya Building Bye-Law 2011, where most greedy landowners have used parking areas defined in their architectural plans as shops (f) impose a ban and freeze on all constructions till such time geographical positioning system has not been completed (g) sweep with a new broom the present Dept. lawyers, and urgently hire lawyers with impeccable standing, those qualified and with unblemished ethical background, to deal with the various demolition, eviction cases relating to Wah Umkhrah encroachments, Bara Bazar Sweeper Colony, Laitumkhrah Sweeper Colony, all pending due to lack of integrity of the counsels who are most probably cutting deals on both sides (g) start from one’s own constituency and make an example (h) do not succumb to political pressure, religious considerations from colleagues or ministers. Failure to attempt to do the above would only be a wasted opportunity for a civilized society.
Yours etc.,
Sankar Bhattacharya
Shillong -14
