Govt may file civil suit if Harijans remain adamant

SHILLONG, April 27: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Urban Affairs, Sniawbhalang Dhar on Thursday said the state government will have no choice but to file a civil suit if the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) continues to remain adamant on the issue of relocation of Harijan Colony residents.
Dhar told reporters that seeking redressal from the court will be the last option for the government.
“We will first explore the options available. If nothing works, we will move the court. Let the court decide,” he said.
He disclosed that the government is yet to discuss the letter received from the HPC. The government will have to sit again and then, take a call, he added. “But we are very clear that we are not going to accept their demand since it is too much,” Dhar said.
Asked if the government will invite the HPC for talks, he said the latter should indicate if it wants to meet the government. “The doors of the government are always open. The HPC should take the lead,” he said.
Senior advocate VGK Kynta had stated that the only way the government can evict the residents is by filing a civil suit in the court.
Talking to reporters, he recalled that a single bench, headed by retired Justice SR Sen of the High Court of Meghalaya, had stated that if the government wants to evict the residents from the said plot, it should file a civil suit.
While disposing of a petition filed by the HPC challenging the setting up of the High-Level Committee to settle the dispute, the bench had in February 2019 asked both parties to approach the civil court to resolve the matter.
Earlier, North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum had set a 15-day deadline to the state government to remove the barricade leading to Harijan Colony. He said the government must act and show results on the ground.
“I will be forced to act if the government fails to remove the barricade within 15 days,” the MLA had warned.
He insisted the government should go ahead with the relocation plan.