SHILLONG: A BJP delegation led by South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai, on Tuesday, met the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at his residence in New Delhi and urged urge him to allow the Garrison Ground in Shillong to be utilised by the civilians.
During the meeting, the MLA said that the Garrison Ground should be utilised by the civilians by signing an MoU with the defence authority.
Shullai also apprised that the Shillong municipal building bye-law should be extended and made applicable to Shillong Cantonment area even as he submitted a memorandum in this regard.
Asking the Defence Minister for early sanctioning of the funds required for PHE water tank and upgrading cantonment school up to class 12, besides improving facilities of Goenka Hospital by making it a 20-bed hospital, he added that Rajnath should allow Shillong Cantonment Board to construct a shopping mall and parking hub as there is a huge chunk of land lying unutilised in the commercial area of the city.
The BJP MLA and members of Shillong Cantonment area Development Committee are most likely to seek state government’s intervention into the demand for civilian use of Garrison Ground, besides extension of municipal building bye-laws to Shillong Cantonment area.
The BJP MLA said that earlier the matter pertaining to the transfer of Garrison Ground was requested for civilian use but it was not materialised, even as he added that the state government can move the Centre to sign an MoU with defence authorities for utilisation of the ground by both civilian and defence persons.
“This would be in the best interest of both the civilians and defence authorities,” Shullai said.
