State apprises HC of change in blueprint for relocation

SHILLONG, Aug 4: The blueprint on relocation of Harijan Colony residents has undergone a change at the suggestion of interested persons, the government submitted before the High Court of Meghalaya on Thursday.
The government further submitted that the details are being worked out. The court has reserved the matter for a date six weeks hence.
In the last hearing in the month of July, it was submitted on behalf of the state that the administration has prepared a blueprint for allotment of three acre of land near the RP Chest Hospital in Mawbah for construction of a multi-storied building housing flats.
Even earlier, the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) had agreed to the relocation from Them Iew Mawlong provided the government gives 200 square metres of land for each family in the European Ward and also bears the full cost of the construction of their houses.
Following the meeting with the HPC in April, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had instructed the Urban Affairs department to prepare a blueprint for the proposed relocation and share it with the residents of the Harijan Colony.
The state government has so far identified only one plot behind the Reid Provincial Chest Hospital, also known as TB Hospital, at Mawbah for the relocation.
But this decision has been met with stiff opposition from several fronts.
West Shillong MLA Mohendro Rapsang had told Tynsong that he was stiffly opposed to the idea of relocating the Harijan Colony residents to Mawbah.
The deputy CM had, however, clarified that the government is just exploring the areas to where the Harijans can be shifted and nothing has been decided so far.