SMB & Relocation of Punjabi lane

Editor, 

Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) dates back to 1878 when Shillong was constituted into a Station under the Bengal Municipal Act, 1876.  The Shillong Station comprised of (1) Mawkhar village which included Jaiaw, Jhalupara and Mawprem and (2) Laban village comprising  Lumparing, Madan Laban, Kench’s Trace and Rilbong.  Mawkhar and Laban were included within Shillong Station vide the seal of agreement signed on 15^th November, 1878 by the then Syiem of Mylliem, (L) Haiñ Manik Syiem.   On March 10, 1909, the Shillong Station was upgraded and converted into a Municipality under the Bengal Act, 1884 with the inclusion of Haneng Umkhrah (now Lower Laitumkhrah and Jail Road).  Shillong was the summer headquarters of the British Government of Assam Province and Lt. Governor was bestowed with powers to head the Shillong Municipality for sanitation management, etc.  

Shillong was well maintained in cleanliness and was named the cleanest hill station of India.  It gained in fame and became the most coveted hill station where the British rulers and their families settled.  Shillong and its forested canopy then earned the sobriquet of ‘Scotland of the East’. For proper management of solid and liquid waste, ten Municipal Wards were organized on November 15, 1910 namely Laitumkhrah, European Quarters, Jail Road & Haneng Umkhrah, Police Bazar, Mawkhar, Mission Compound & Jaiaw, Qualapatty & Southern Mawkhar, Jhalupara & Mawprem, Laban and Mali.  The Chairman of the different Municipal Wards were senior British Officers. In 1924, the Vice-Chairman was elected by the local people to assist the then Chairman and to be in charge of certain wards of the SMB.  During the British rule, the elected Vice-Chairman were Rai Saheb Siva Nath Dutta (1924-27), P.S. Guha (1928-30), W. Reade (first Khasi ; 1930-34), Handerson G. Philip Shabong (1935-37), R.C. Das Gupta (1938-41), Theodore Cajee (1942-44), and A.C. Sen (1.7.1944 to 10.3.1948).  On attaining Independence a member of the Constituent Assembly of the Country, (L) J.J.M. Nichols Roy advocated for protection of tribal lands under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.  Further expansion of the Shillong Municipal area was opposed by the then Chief of Hima Mylliem, i.e. the Syiem of Mylliem as per provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. On attaining Statehood and in 1974, the Government of Meghalaya reorganized the 10 Municipal Wards by division of the existing big wards into 27 Wards within the specified area of about 25 sq. km.

Shillong Municipal Board has its own office building in Jail Road covering an area of about 70,000 sq. ft. (land documents available with SMB) which includes the Jail Road Petrol Pump (on lease).  In 2005, it was decided to construct a 4-storied building permissible under the then MUDA Buildings bye-law.  The Plan and Design was prepared with the help of the Structural Engineers and Architects of the Directorate of Urban Affairs, Meghalaya.  The plan is as per G+3 specifications:

• Basement & Ground floor                  –           Parking lot
• 1^st, 2^nd& 3^rdfloor                                 –           Shopping Mall
• 4^th(top) floor                                       –           SMB Office           

 The plan and design is to generate monthly income of 40 lakh approximately under the public-private-partnership mode with 50-50 share of the profits as per agreement to be formulated between SMB and the Private Partner.           

 Now about the relocation of the SMB employees and their families in Punjabi Lane. Besides the SMB Office complex at Jail Road, the Shillong Municipality has 5 staff quarter buildings located at Lower Ïewmawlong (later known as Sweepers line). No RCC building was constructed by SMB, European Ward (European quarters – Bishop Cotton Road), Crinoline (near the swimming pool), Laitumkhrah Beat House (adjacent to Police Station), Polo (near Hotel Polo Towers). Some of the quarters are in dilapidated. Improvement and extension of quarter buildings in Bishop Cotton Road and Polo are urgently needed for required relocation of Punjabi Lane. State Government may expedite the work and relocation of the employees of SMB along with their families within a month. The families include the aged retired employees who no longer have close relatives in Punjab or anywhere else.  These elderly persons (retired employees) have expressed their readiness to stay anywhere in Shillong in the SMB quarters as long as they are alive.  

Yours etc.,

1. LiningstarLyngdoh, (IAS Retd)

Former Secretary, Urban Affairs Deptt. & CEO,SMB

Pathetic road condition                                                       

Editor, 

The road leading from Pynursla down towards Nongjri, Nongshken and other adjoining villages near the international border with Bangladesh is small, narrow and in dilapidated.  The recent landslide along that road had caused losses in terms of human capacity and economic growth, though the area produces varieties of horticulture and forest products but there is no market development. The VIPs who were stuck in that landslide stretch have at least come to understand the difficulties that their constituents continue to face. The VIPs appear  like comets once in five years. The present Central Government led by the BJP has pledged to bring development in all forms and at all levels in rural places. Hope that the NPP-led Govt being an ally will bring transformation in these villages. 

Yours etc.. 

Dominic S.Wankhar

Shillong