SHILLONG, Feb 21: Relocation of the 128 employees of Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) from Harijan Colony at Them Iew Mawlong is likely to take more time.
A government official on Monday said the SMB will need to assess the renovation requirements of the staff quarters at the temporary office of the board at Bishop Cotton Road opposite Sherwood Bungalow.
“We will make the assessment once we shift our temporary office to Lumpyngngad Cottage near the Chief Secretary’s official residence,” the official said, adding that renovation might be required since the building will be converted into staff quarters for the SMB employees.
It may be mentioned that the SMB had dismantled some portions of the building to create office space.
Earlier, Urban Affairs Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar had asserted that the state government is working to ensure smooth relocation of the Harijan Colony residents and would not act under pressure from any quarter.
“We would like to relocate the residents in a proper away. At the moment, the department is yet to receive the full list of families residing at Sweepers (Harijan) Colony. We only have a list of the government employees residing there,” Dhar had said.
Notably, there are a total of 184 employees residing in the area which includes 128 employees of the SMB and 56 others working in other government departments, according to the inventory report submitted by the Shillong Municipal Board.
The state government had earlier taken over the land at Them Iew Mawlong, measuring about 12,444.13 square metres, after executing a tripartite lease deed whereby it paid a premium of Rs 2 crore on October 29 to the Syiem of Hima Mylliem.
The lease agreement was signed among the government, the Syiem of Mylliem and the SMB after the state Cabinet had accepted the recommendations of the Tynsong-headed High-Level Committee.