Govt to hold talks with Harijans tomorrow

SHILLONG, Sep 27: The state government will hold a meeting with the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) on September 29 to discuss their relocation from Them Iew Mawlong to the Shillong Municipal Board quarters on Bishop Cotton Road.
Informing this on Tuesday, Urban Affairs Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said the government would inform the HPC about the High-Level Committee’s (HLC) decision to relocate the residents to Bishop Cotton Road.
The Urban Affairs department had recently submitted the blueprint for identification of a suitable site for relocation of the residents from Them Iew Mawlong. The blueprint was submitted to Deputy Chief Minister and Chairman of the HLC Prestone Tynsong.
The technical assessment by the Urban Affairs department found that it would be possible to rehabilitate all the 342 families at the new location. The blueprint proposes construction of 12 residential blocks, each containing 30 to 40 flats. The new site has an area of 2.5 acres and the existing building would be demolished to pave way for reconstruction.
Dhar said the modalities for construction of the residential blocks would begin only after the meeting with the residents of the Harijan colony.
The state government had previously contemplated relocating the residents to a site near the Reid Provincial Chest (TB) Hospital in Mawbah, but the Dorbar Shnong of the area said the move would be opposed tooth and nail.
West Shillong MLA Mohendro Rapsang also opposed the Mawbah relocation plan owing to the high density of the population there.