Editor,
The recent incident which led to communal tension in Shillong for the past one week and which disrupted normal life is very unfortunate. Social media is to be blamed for spreading rumours to trouble mongers. The incident at Punjabi Lane on May 31, could have been avoided had the police team swooped into action to arrest those person (s) involved. Stone pelting is another dangerous trend that the youths have borrowed from the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir and needs to be seriously introspected. As expected, greedy politicians are so quick to take advantage of the situation to gain mileage. Paul Lyngdoh and Mukul Sangma are already sparring on the issue. As law abiding citizens let us ponder what these so-called leaders have done on this burning issue which is in fact the crux of the matter. Firstly, Paul Lyngdoh has become popular as a student leader of a particular organization by listing “removal of Punjabi Lane (Them Metor) from Mawlonghat as one of his main demands and gained his political mileage out of it. After becoming an MLA, an astute DD Lapang invited Paul to join his government along with his party colleague Lambor Malngiang to test if he could really deliver the promise to his people. Paul Lyngdoh has been awarded with Urban Affairs Department then but to our utter surprise though he was so vocal about the issue he could not move even an inch for its relocation. So, Lapang had the last laugh!
On the other hand, Mukul Sangma who has been at the receiving end after being dethroned from the hot seat is trying to make his presence felt by pinching the Conrad- led government for being inept to deal with the situation and even stated that if he has a mandate to form a government he would relocate Punjabi Lane instantly. His statement after the Tuesday CLP meeting is so childish, ridiculous and contradictory to the statement made by Process T Sawkmie, his party chief whip a day earlier. Power- monger Mukul shows his true colours by making such sweeping statements. What has he done in his eight year tenure as Chief Minister? Or was he sleeping on the files during that period? Why is Mukul Sangma trying to foment trouble now? In fact everyone knows that the Congress party dare not relocate the Punjabi Lane as it is its vote bank. God knows, had it been the previous government many souls would have perished during the turmoil. Kudos to the Conrad led government for exercising its utmost restraint in using force to deal with the protestors, as Lt Gen DS Ahuja GoC 101 had also stated. Therefore let us all rise above party politics to help the Government to relocate “Punjabi Lane” expeditiously.
Yours etc.
Sanlangki Mylliengap
Shillong- 12
On MUDA bye-laws
Editor,
Recently much has been debated about the applicability of the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority’s building bye-laws in the autonomous areas or areas falling under the administrative jurisdiction of the Autonomous District Councils. Many conflicting news reports have appeared in the print media. What appeared in your paper on May 16, 2018 under the headlines “MUDA bylaws not in district council areas” reads ” ….. 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) ….. ” and on May 18, 2018, you carried another headline, “HC order prevails over state claim on MUDA exemption” which reads, “In the absence of any appeal either by the state government or the KHADC, the order of the Division Bench of the High Court of Meghalaya will make it difficult for the government to exempt scheduled areas from the purview of the MUDA building bylaws approved in 2011….. ” and yet again your paper on May 28, 2018 carried another headline, “MDA to bring ordinance to exempt MUDA bye-laws” which reads, “The state government will bring an ordinance to exempt areas under the jurisdiction of the district councils from the purview of MUDA building bylaws ….. ”
All these contradictory headlines and news reports are confusing. Are the MUDA bye-laws now applicable or not in the areas under the jurisdiction of the Autonomous District Councils. To answer this question we are to go back and examine the origin of the MUDA byelaws. Under what law or act has the MUDA bye-laws been framed? After a few consultations and a short study on the subject it appears that the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and its power to frame bye-laws has been empowered by or under the provision of the Meghalaya Town And Country Planning Act, 1973, an Act, “To provide for the development of the Towns and Country sides of the State of Meghalaya ….. ” In other words it maybe stated that the MUDA and its byelaws are created and framed under the provisions of this Act.
Let us take another step and go to an abstract from Chapter I of the said Act which reads as follows:-
1. Short title, extent and commencement – (1) This Act maybe called the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973.
(2) It shall extend to the whole of Meghalaya excluding the Autonomous District:
Provided that if any District Council desires that all or any of the provisions of this Act should apply to the Autonomous District concerned, a notification may be issued to that effect and this Act shall then extend to that Autonomous District subject to such exceptions or modifications as may be specified in the notification.” On reading of the above there is a pertinent question that needs to be answered:
Under the provisions of the existing law, can the MUDA bye-laws be extended to areas under the autonomous district, without the express desire or consent of the respective Autonomous District Councils?
As a citizen of the state, may I request the authorities concerned to please give an answer to this question and enlighten us and clear the confusion.
Yours etc.,
Wallamphang Roy
Shillong-1