SHILLONG: The government said on Tuesday the MUDA building bylaws will not be applicable to areas under the jurisdiction of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). It, however, maintained that the legal aspects need to be thoroughly studied.
After a tripartite meeting with the KHADC and the Synjuk ki Nongsynshar Shnong ka Bri U Hynniewtrep, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said, “We have decided that in principle the areas which are under the autonomous district council and outside the purview of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) will not be affected by the MUDA building bylaws.”
“But there are legal provisions that need to be looked into. In the meantime, the Law Department is going through all the aspects of the legal provisions. There is some small legal clarification that needs to be made but the legal department will look into it in a time-bound manner,” he added.
Sangma informed that the district councils will frame the building bylaws. He informed that the Urban Affairs Department will ask the PHE Department and MeECL to ensure that permissions required are relaxed because people are not getting water and power connections.
Stating that this transition will take some time, the chief minister said, “This is a transition phase, we are now trying to implement it and streamline things. In the meantime, we are trying to request and give an order to MeECL and PHE to relax those norms so that people don’t suffer.”
Meanwhile, KHADC chief executive member PN Syiem said the state government will amend the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973, and reintroduce sub-section 2, which states that the Act should apply in the state, excluding the district council areas.
The president of the Synjuk expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the meeting and was relieved that the PHE and MeECL will not insist on occupancy certificates.
