SHILLONG, July 17: The Dorbar Shnong of Mawbah has resolved to oppose the proposed move of the government to shift residents of Harijan Colony to TB Hospital in the locality.
South Shillong MLA Mohendro Rapsang said the Dorbar Shnong called a meeting on Sunday to seek the views of the public who unanimously resolved to oppose any move to shift people from Harijan Colony to Mawbah.
Rapsang said they would urge the government to reconsider its decision failing which they would take a call on their future course of action.
Rapsang has opposed the move saying the area is highly congested and adding more population would lead to catastrophic consequences. He maintained that TB Hospital is meant to be a hospital and nothing else.
The state government, it may be recalled, had recently submitted before the High Court of Meghalaya that it would allot three acres of land near TB Hospital, Mawbah for construction of housing flats.
The court had hoped that the matter receives a quietus upon the government proposal being found satisfactory by the applicant (Harijan Panchayat Committee).
Meanwhile, the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) said the government had only made a submission and they were yet to know the details.
HPC secretary Gurjit Singh said as per information available with them, the government will identify three areas (one of which is Mawbah) but as they were yet to see the blueprints they were not sure if their demands had been met or not.
Reiterating the HPC’s demand for 200 sq m of plot for each family besides full cost of construction of the houses, he said they want permanent relocation.
The opposition Meghalaya Pradesh Trinamool Congress (MPTC) has termed the government’s plan to relocate the residents of Harijan Colony to TB Hospital at Mawbah as a “forceful imposition” devoid of the consent of the stakeholders and warned that it may end up inciting violence.
“This again highlights one of the many decisions taken by the government that has not evoked any interest among the stakeholders,” opposition chief whip George B Lyngdoh said, referring to the opposition by the West Shillong MLA and the Mawbah Dorbar Shnong.
According to Lyngdoh, the move will only incite hate and anger and might spark another mishap the likes of which have been witnessed in the past.
“The question is whether the people of Mawbah will feel safe and whether there will be peace and tranquillity in the area if the government just forces its decision on the people despite opposition from the stakeholders,” he questioned.
He advised the government to ensure that all stakeholders are taken on board to arrive at a peaceful and permanent resolution of the issue.
