SHILLONG: The Acting Syiem of the Hima Mylliem, Ricky Nelson Syiem, said four land pattas were issued to the residents of Punjabi Lane (Them Iew Mawlong).
Syiem told media persons on Wednesday that the land pattas were given for construction of the gurdwara, Guru Nanak School, Shiv Mandir and Durga Mandir in 2009 on humanitarian ground.
Syiem said they had decided to cancel the land pattas in 2010 after protests by several pressure groups but the Sweepers’ Lane residents approached the court to oppose the cancellation of the pattas.
However, the court directed the Hima to conduct a hearing to know the grievances of the Sikh population before withdrawing the land pattas.
In 2011, the Hima, without holding the hearing, issued the order to cancel the pattas.
The stand of the Hima was that the land pattas were cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances while the Syiem admitted that the cancellation of the land pattas should be on valid grounds.
The growing demand for relocation of the residents of Punjabi Lane prompted the office of the Syiem of Hima Mylliem to collect documents and land pattas relating to the plot of land.
The Syiem of Hima Mylliem had held an emergency meeting of the executive Durbar on Saturday.
He said after checking the documents, it was found that the land at Sweepers’ Lane was given to the municipal in two parts through an agreement signed in 1954.
Syiem added that the Hima gave the land to the Municipal Board for housing their employees and the other part is for the commercial area, which will be looked after by the board.
Syiem refuted the claims that the land at Sweepers’ Lane belonged to the clans of Nongkhlaw and Kurkalang but maintained that it belongs to the Hima Mylliem.
