SHILLONG, Oct 2: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) and the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) on Sunday opposed the state government’s move to rehabilitate the “illegal settlers” of Them Iew Mawlong.
“The objective of constituting the High-Level Committee was the relocation of the staff of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) and other government departments residing in Them Iew Mawlong,” KSU president Lambokstar Marngar said.
He said the organisations are against the government’s bid to accommodate all the 342 families in the area.
“If the government can rehabilitate the illegal settlers, then there are many landless indigenous people who need rehabilitation,” Marngar said.
The KSU president said the state government never rehabilitated the families the MUDA had evicted from Umsawli in the New Shillong Township a few years ago. “We would like to impress upon the government to rehabilitate the indigenous families who are landless instead of rehabilitating the illegal settlers,” he said.
FKJGP president Dundee C Khongsit said the relocation from Them Iew Mawlong should only be for the families of the employees of SMB and other government departments. “It is not the duty of the government to rehabilitate or relocate illegal settlers who should find their own accommodation if they are evicted,” he said.
He said they are going to oppose tooth and nail any bid to accommodate those who are not families of government employees.
The state government had on Thursday given the relocation blueprint to the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) with detailed designs of the multi-storey buildings for relocating the 342 families of Harijan Colony.
The HPC members said they would take the “final decision” to accept or reject the relocation plan after the Durga Puja celebrations.
