SHILLONG, Dec 9: The Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) said Governor Satya Pal Malik has assured the emissary of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that the dispute surrounding Punjabi lane in Shillong would be resolved soon.
“The Governor assured that the Punjabi lane dispute will be resolved soon by getting together the representatives of Sikh community and Meghalaya government,” the HPC said on Thursday.
SAD emissary, Gurjit Singh Jhampur had submitted a letter to the Governor and later, spoke to him on the issue.
In the letter, the SAD emissary wrote, “We, the Sikhs, and the public in general are concerned about the Sikh settlement in Shillong which is about two hundred-year-old. I will be grateful if the Sikhs are assured of security and if thought best, an Army contingent is posted in the vicinity”.
Stating that the Sikhs around the world are showing solidarity with the Sikh residents of Punjabi lane, the HPC said, “The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president, Simranjit Singh Mann had deputed Jhampur as the emissary to meet the Governor and seek his intervention to resolve the dispute”.
The Sikhs are eager to honour the Governor who will visit Punjab lane soon, it was learnt.
Meanwhile, Urban Affairs Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar on Thursday said the process to relocate the employees of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) from Them Metor is under process. He said the exercise will begin once the new SMB office is ready.
But the residents of the colony are in no mood to leave the area which, they claim, was given to them by the Hima Mylliem many decades ago. They have already made it clear that they will fight for their right.
The High Court of Meghalaya had earlier ordered the state government to maintain status quo on the issue but the latter is going ahead with its plan, which the settlers view as an act of oppression.
“We will start the exercise of shifting the employees once the new SMB office is ready. The shifting of employees will be done in a phase-wise manner,” Dhar told reporters.
He said 50 plus families could be accommodated at the municipal quarters at Bishop Cotton Road. It is the government’s responsibility to take care of its own staff, the Minister said.
Earlier, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma had said around 80-90 families, who are the employees of municipal and other departments, would also be shifted to different places.
“After this exercise, we will talk to other people and try to find out an amicable solution,” Sangma had said.
The CM had stated the government would stick to rules and move forward. He had dismissed reports that there is no space for families in the existing municipal office.
