Harijan panel awaits relocation blueprint

SHILLONG, May 14: The Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) is awaiting the state government to prepare and provide the blueprint for the proposed relocation of the residents of Them Iew Mawlong.
The HPC secretary, Gurjit Singh, told The Shillong Times on Saturday that they are expecting the government’s relocation plan by the end of May.
Reiterating the HPC’s demand of 200 sq. m of a plot per family besides the construction cost of the houses, he said they want permanent relocation.
“We are fighting for our rights. The deputy chief minister had said our demands are legitimate and we are not asking for anything wrong,” the HPC secretary said, adding that the residents of the locality are connected with the land after staying there for so many years.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has instructed the Urban Affairs Department to complete the blueprint for the proposed relocation as fast as possible.
The details of the blueprint will be shared with the HPC, which will then decide whether or not to accept the government’s offer.
The government will invite the HPC for talks once the blueprint is ready, Tynsong said.
The HPC sought 9 acres of alternative land as part of the relocation in exchange for the land they occupy at Them Iew Mawlong.
The pressure groups have opposed the demand of the HPC for a 9-acre land in the European Ward of the city.