Shillong Cantonment Lease Holder’s Association files petition seeking redressal of various grievances
SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya on Tuesday issued notices to the Union of India and the Shillong Cantonment Board asking them to file their reply within four weeks after the Shillong Cantonment Lease Holder’s Association, a registered body, filed a writ petition before the High Court for the redressal of the grievances of the lessees and resident of Cantonment areas.
The writ petition has been filed against lack of initiative in framing suitable building bye-laws under the Cantonment Act, 2006 and non-sanction or approval of new building plans submitted by the residents of Shillong Cantonment areas by the Shillong Cantonment Board due to non-relaxation in the Floor Space Index limit consequent and therefore the civilian population residing in the Shillong Cantonment areas are deprived of building permission for re-erection of their buildings.
The petition has also been filed for other issues such as non consideration for conversion of Lease Hold Right into Free Hold Right of the existing lease land of lease holders, non utilization of the vacant land under the management of the Cantonment Board for public interest such as setting up of educational institutions and construction of hospital and instead allowing the people to throw garbage for causing health hazard in the locality and inconvenience to the lessees of the adjoining holdings of the vacant land.
Another issues which promoted the association to file the petition is the denial of permission to the lease holders to utilize the portion of their holding on the road level for commercial purpose in view of increase in the population in the Shillong Cantonment area while the people in the area are facing tremendous hardship for purchasing the essential commodities for their day to day needs.
Earlier, the Shillong Cantonment Board had also filed a writ petition in the High Court of Meghalaya challenging the applicability of the Meghalaya Building Bye-Laws, 2011 in the areas under the Shillong Cantonment Board.