SHILLONG, Oct 7: The Meghalaya Government is all set to take possession of the land at Harijan Colony within a week’s time by following ‘due procedures’, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced after a Cabinet meeting here on Thursday.
At the same time, employees of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) residing at Harijan Colony will be relocated to the staff quarters located on the premises of the temporary office of the Board at Bishop Cotton Road.
The Cabinet discussed the report of the High Level Committee (HLC) which was submitted to the state government recently. The Committee also made a presentation on the report and its recommendations before the Cabinet.
Detailed discussions were held at the meeting on the genesis of the case, challenges and various events that took place during the three-year-long exercise of the HLC.
The HLC was constituted by the state government on June 4, 2018 to find a feasible solution for relocation of Harijan Colony from Iew Mawlong following clashes that spiralled into a violent unrest that crippled life in the city for weeks.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, the CM said that the HLC has made three recommendations the first of which is regarding ownership of the land. He pointed out that there has been confusion as to who owns the land and who has the right over the land.
“The state government and the Shillong Municipal Board have signed the agreement to take possession of the land from the Syiem of Hima Mylliem and the government will move to take possession of the land within a week,” the CM said.
A tripartite agreement to this effect has been signed between the Syiem of Mylliem, the state government represented by the Urban Affairs department and the SMB.
Another recommendation made by the HLC is relocation of the SMB office from its present location at Bishop Cotton Road to the old Meghalaya Basin Development Authority office opposite the existing location.
In addition, the HLC has also suggested that permanent employees of SMB who are staying in the Harijan Colony should be shifted to the SMB quarters at Bishop Cotton Road.
The CM pointed out that there are employees from around 57 families engaged in various departments and almost half of them have already relocated from the Colony.
“The Committee also recommended that shifting of other employees from Harijan Colony to designated location to be arranged by their parent department,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Committee has also asked the Urban Affairs department to work out plan and submit a proposal before the Cabinet for relocation of non-government employees from the Colony.
When asked if illegal settlers in the Colony will also be relocated, Sangma said that the Urban Affairs department will find a suitable location to move them.
He made it clear that the government will follow all the procedures and has asked the Urban Affairs department to submit a report on how to move forward on the matter including looking at the option of relocating illegal settlers, if necessary.
The CM also asserted that the government will hold talk with residents of the Colony and try to sort out the issues so as to make it a win-win situation for everyone.
When asked about the Harijan Panchayat Committee’s claims that the High Court of Meghalaya has asked the HLC and the Harijan Committee to maintain status quo in the case, Sangma said if there is any such order, the government will challenge it accordingly.
When asked how long it will take to complete the eviction process, Sangma did not give a direct reply and said that the problem has been pending for long and everything takes time but the important thing is that the MDA Government has taken this issue seriously and is trying to find an amicable solution.
Asked how the government is proposing to develop the land, he said no decision has been taken in this regard.
