SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has ruled out disbanding of the High Level Committee (HLC), which was set up to find ways to relocate the Sweeper’s Colony, as demanded by the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) Shillong.
Talking to media persons here on Thursday, Sangma said that there is no question of disbanding the HLC and it will continue with its work.
Asked about the Harijan Panchayat Committee meeting the governor bypassing the state government over its demand, Sangma said anybody has the right to meet anybody and he cannot stop anybody from meeting the governor.
“Our government is firm on the decision which we have taken and we are committed to seeing the HLC continues its work,” he said. Responding to a query about the Court’s order asking the HLC to go slow on the matter, he said that there is no question of going slow or fast and the government is following the due process.
It may be mentioned that the HLC in its last meeting held last month had asked residents of the colony to report to the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) about the nature of their occupation and the number of years they have been in it.
The HLC was constituted in June this year, soon after the unrest that stemmed from removal of illegal settlers of the Harijan Colony, located in the heart of Shillong.
A delegation of Sikhs had met the governor on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum asking that the HLC be disbanded as it was “bad in law” and alleging it has been acting in a “biased and malafide manner.”
