SHILLONG, April 21: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Friday said the state government would submit an affidavit to the High Court of Meghalaya, giving all details and documents on the proposed relocation of the residents of Harijan Colony as the process was initiated in deference to the court’s direction.
The statement comes a day after the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) rejected the government’s relocation proposal (blueprint), terming it as “incomplete, unsuitable, unprepared, unfair and undemocratic”.
Tynsong, who received a letter from the HPC rejecting the proposal, said according to the letter, the committee does not want to even sit and discuss the matter.
Talking about the charge that the government has not fulfilled the HPC’s eight-point demand, he said it is not possible for the government to do everything.
The HPC is demanding a 200 square metre plot and Rs 20 lakh for each family as construction cost.
“How can we consider their demands? From day one, I had told them that we will have a blueprint acceptable to both parties,” the Deputy CM said.
“It is not easy to get land today but still, they were given a wonderful location in the European Ward. I have nothing to say. The government will raise the matter in the court,” he added.
Wondering how the residents of the colony can be settled here for 160 years as claimed, he asked, “Is it correct and justified? If they want to fight, let them approach the court.”
The HPC, on the other hand, has maintained that the relocation blueprint does not mention the area where the 342 families will be relocated.
HPC secretary Gurjit Singh revealed that the state government proposed to construct a seven-storey building to rehabilitate the families but did not indicate the area. He said the government also did not share any details on relocation other than showing the design of the building.
“We are not satisfied with the blueprint. We would want some clarity since it appears that the government wants to just dump them but it is not acceptable at all,” Singh said.
He felt not much effort was made in the preparation of the blueprint. He questioned how the government can construct a high-rise building by violating building bye-laws.
The HPC secretary said the government is likely to construct the building on the proposed site at Bivar Road where the office of Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) functioned before it was moved to another side of the road.
He expressed surprise over the statements made by some leaders after the formation of the new government that they will complete the relocation exercise within this April. He said this is not possible since the government will have to shift the staff occupying the quarters to a new building.
“It is only then that they will be able to demolish the structure and construct the seven-storey building as mentioned in the blueprint,” Singh said.
He said it looks like the government is fooling people in the absence of a proper plan for relocation.
He said the HPC will wait for an invitation from the government in case it wants a discussion.
“We want a productive discussion. It will be a total waste to engage in such negotiations if the final outcome is zero,” Singh said.
He urged the government to re-open the road leading to the Harijan Colony. The government closed it after the clashes in 2018. He said the general public is affected due to the closure of the road, especially with the traffic problem in the city.
