SHILLONG: The High Level Committee (HLC) setup by the Meghalaya Government to look into the issue of relocation of the settlers of Them Metor (Punjabi Lane) has decided to extend the inventorization process for another one month.
Talking to media persons after the meeting of the Committee here on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister and chairman of the committee, Prestone Tynsong said that the Committee in its meeting discussed about the recent High Court order which stated that the residents of the colony must cooperate with the inventorization programme of the Shillong Municipal Board.
The Committee last month had issued notices to the settlers to submit their documents and claims before the Shillong Municipal Board within a month which expired on July 2.
According to Tynsong, the Committee in its sitting on Thursday was informed that the residents of the colony did not turned up for the inventory and since the High Court order was passed on June 28, the Committee decided to extend the inventorization period for another 30 days.
The 30 days’ time would be counted from the day when Shillong Municipal Board issues the notice once again.
Stating that the inventory is important as the Committee wants to know who are these people who are staying in the colony, he added that the Committee was constituted to know the genuine and illegal settlers staying in the colony
It may be mentioned that the HLC earlier on two occasion had issued notices to the settlers but they did not turn up before the Board with their details
Tynsong said that if they don’t turn up with their details, it would amount to contempt of the Court and now it is up to them and their lawyers to save themselves.
“This inventorization programme is being not for throwing them out but we want inventory because we want to know who are genuine residents and those who are illegally staying there,” Tynsong said.
He also said that if the residents are claiming of staying there for more than 200 years, it should not be a problem for them to produce their documents.
The notice will also be issued to the lawyer of the respondent as well.
The HLC was constituted by the State Government after trouble broke out at Them Metor last year following which the demand for its relocation grew louder in the state.