Harijan Colony issue
SHILLONG: The High Level Committee (HLC) has already taken a decision to relocate the Harijan Colony residents.
A letter of the Urban Affairs Department for relocation of Harijan Colony, issued on May 28, referred to the decision of the High Level Committee in this regard on May 10.
The Urban Affairs Department has referred to the letter from the Chief Executive Officer, Shillong Municipal Board, with a request to several departments to shift their employees from Harijan Colony to other areas, within the respective departments.
The letter of Urban Affairs Department said this was most urgent as this has the approval of competent authority.
The plan of the government is to direct the respective departments to arrange accommodation for their employees, who are currently residing at Harijan Colony.
No deadline
Since the beginning of June, several departments have issued notices to their individual employees residing at Harijan Colony for relocation but the departments did not give any deadline as the letters mentioned only ‘at the earliest’.
The Urban and Municipal Affairs Minister Hamlet Dohling had on Monday said while 128 Municipal employees of Harijan Colony will be shifted there are 58 employees of other departments residing at Harijan Colony who will also have to vacate the area.
According to Dohling, the government does not intend to use any force for relocation and he hoped that the residents will cooperate with the government.
However, the chairman of High Level Committee, Prestone Tynsong had earlier said the decision to relocate the residents of Harijan Colony will be taken after the committee submits its report to the government.
Though Tynsong had reiterated the need for relocation, the committee is yet to submit its report.
Two notices raise
confusion
The notices for relocation were issued pending the replies to the notices for further inventorisation issued to the residents of the Harijan Colony from June 3 to July 3. According to the inventorisation notice, the residents will have to produce necessary papers before the Shillong Municipal Board within the stipulated time.
Last year, though the government had issued notices for similar inventorisation to prove the year of occupancy by the residents, there was protest.