By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 8: Rangbah Shnong of Pynthorumkhrah, Michael Hek has alleged that the youth in the locality remain unemployed and is hopeful that the construction of a children’s park and futsal ground will change the scenario.
“The Shillong Club has taken over the golf link and is charging for people to get in. It was the people of the locality, who helped when the fencing work was being done, but after the work was done, they neglected us. I hope the same thing does not happen when the park is completed,” the headman said.
Allegedly, the ground that is being proposed for the park is a disputed land, claimed by The Shillong Club and the Thangkhiew clan.
Hek alleged that despite the community’s efforts in cleaning and maintaining the land for twenty-five years, it was only after development schemes were proposed that claims were made to the area, which had previously been a hub for immoral activities.
“The people of the locality have been cleaning and maintaining the land, now proposed for the park had been the hub of all kinds of immoral activities, and nobody batted an eye, but now suddenly wants to lay claim once the schemes started coming in,” Hek alleged.
He added that the locality people have been maintaining the land for twenty-five years now and the only thing they wanted was that they should have been approached before the decision was taken.
Mentioning that they are happy and thankful that the government is initiating projects in their locality, Hek said that their primary objective is that the locality people should gain employment and the Dorbar’s revenue should be boosted so that they can make a difference in the locality.
It may be mentioned that the Dorbar Shnong Golflink would be given full responsibility for running the park to be established at Golflinks once it is completed, this was decided at a meeting between the members of the Dorbar Shnong and the officials of the Urban Affairs Department which was chaired by Pynthorumkhrah MLA and Cabinet Minister, Alexander Laloo Hek on Tuesday.