SHILLONG, May 1: With the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) rejecting the relocation blueprint prepared by the Urban Affairs Department, terming it as “incomplete, unsuitable, unprepared, unfair and undemocratic”, the state government has now approached the High Court of Meghalaya, via an affidavit, urging the court’s intervention in the matter.
The affidavit submitted by the government in the high court mentions that the HPC has rejected the blueprint on the relocation of 342 Harijan families from Them Iew Mawlong.
Disclosing this, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar told reporters on Monday that the court will now decide the next step.
He made it clear that the state government will welcome any move by the HPC to hold negotiations on the relocation proposal.
Earlier, the HPC had submitted an exhaustive six-page reply to the blueprint, rejecting the proposal.
“There are serious lacunae, sweeping and undesirable conclusions in the approach and attitude of the High-Level Committee of the Meghalaya government,” the HPC letter stated.
The HPC alleged that the “entire exercise is an ill-founded relocation theory, which actually compels the resident citizens of Punjabi Lane to forego their rights, title, and interest over whatever small land portion in the colony and to accept the prison cells-like accommodation being offered” in the proposed blueprint.
The letter pointed out gaping holes in the government’s blueprint – area too small and proposed houses being pigeonholes, official building guidelines violated, no roadmap of demolition of present structures, no public amenities and last but not least, no specification of title to the land and the houses.
Following the rejection of the blueprint, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had made it sufficiently clear that the relocation must take place since the process (preparation of blueprint) was initiated in deference to the court’s direction.
He had also stated that the government would submit an affidavit to the high court, giving all details and documents on the proposed relocation of the residents.
