Building bye laws not be be implemented in Shillong Cantonment area
SHILLONG: The State Government has withdrawn its decision of implementing building bye laws in Shilong Cantonment area.
The matter came up for hearing in the High Court of Meghalaya on Tuesday after the Shillong Cantonment Board filed a petition over the move of the Government to make the building bye laws applicable to the Cantonment areas of the city.
However, the Government later informed the High Court that the notification has been withdrawn and the case was disposed of.
Meanwhile, the Shillong Cantonment Lease Holder’s Association, a registered body, earlier this year filed a writ petition before the High Court for the redress of the grievances of the lessees and residents of Cantonment areas.
The counsel of the Shillong Cantonment Lease Holder’s Association F Quresh said that during the hearing on Tuesday, the counsel for the Shillong Cantonment Board submitted before the court that the plea of the Association was on the same issue of building bye laws.
However, Chief Justice observed that the plea of the Association and the application of government building bye laws are two different issues and there will be a hearing on the plea of the Shillong Cantonment Lease Holder’s Association.
The writ petition was 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 and therefore the civilian population residing in the Shillong Cantonment areas are deprived of building permission for re-erection of their buildings.
According to Qureshi, as per Shillong Cantonment Board, the proposal to increase the Floor Space Index limit has been sent to the Ministry of Defence for its consideration.
Another issue 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.