SHILLONG: The High Level Committee set up by the state government to look into the issue of relocation of the settlers of Harijan Colony has decided to extend the inventorisation process by a month.
Talking to media persons here on Thursday after the meeting of the committee, which he heads as chairman, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the meeting discussed the recent high court order stating that the residents must cooperate with the exercise 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 was informed that the residents did not turn up for the inventorisation and since the high court order was passed on June 28, it was decided to extend the process for another 30 days.
The 30 days’ time would be counted from the day the Shillong Municipal Board had issued the notice once again.
He said inventorisation is important for the committee to ascertain the credentials of those staying in the colony as it was tasked to identify the genuine and illegal settlers.
It may be mentioned that the HLC earlier on two occasions 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 court and it will be up to them and their lawyers to save themselves.
“This inventorisation programme is being conducted not for throwing them out, but because we want to know who are the genuine residents and who are not,” Tynsong said.
He also said that if the residents are claiming they have been 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 Harijan Colony last year following which the demand for its relocation grew louder in the state.