Umroi airport expansion: Buildings demolished in Ri Bhoi

NONGPOH: Following the direction of the Meghalaya High Court to demolish buildings impeding the expansion of Umroi Airport, several houses located at Umden Mission and Uden Umsaitprah village were demolished by a team of the Ri Bhoi District Administration escorted by policemen on Friday.
Aggrieved land and property owners while expressing strong opposition to the order said that they were informed about the demolition only 24 hours prior to the exercise by the District administration. The affected land and house owners pleaded that they could not have vacated the houses without receiving compensation from the government.
The affected people urged the government to take up the matter ensuring that land owners who have not been compensated should not be affected by the ongoing expansion work of Umroi Airport.
When contacted the new Chairman of Public Account Committee, Paul Lyngdoh, who recently visited Umroi Airport to settle the expansion work hurdle said that the PAC can do nothing on the matter as the demolition was ordered by the High Court.
He, however, said that the PAC will hold a review meeting on Tuesday to discuss the matter.