SHILLONG, Oct 6: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has urged the state government to ensure that infrastructural development in the New Shillong Township is carefully regulated from the outset to avoid the mistakes made during Shillong’s rapid urbanization.
“Shillong has grown significantly in recent years, and with this growth, various problems have emerged. Traffic congestion, pollution, and inadequate civic amenities, among other issues, are creating major challenges in urban governance and administration,” said UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh.
Speaking about the New Shillong Township, he added, “We must ensure that what happened in Shillong doesn’t happen in the township. From the start, we need to monitor the type of construction taking place and ensure it adheres to building rules and regulations so that New Shillong does not face the same issues as the old Shillong.”
“All the necessary laws and regulations are already in place, and they should be strictly enforced. If we don’t act now, New Shillong will experience the same difficulties we see in old Shillong,” Mawthoh emphasised.
He further stated, “We need to be vigilant from the very beginning, ensuring there are no illegal constructions, and that building rules and regulations are followed. Proper planning and construction are essential.”
The vision for the New Shillong Township (NST) was conceived in the 1990s, when land was first acquired for the project. However, even after 29 years and the expenditure of crores of rupees, the township is still in the development stage.
To date, the state government has collected a total of Rs 83.07 crore in premiums from land deals in the New Shillong Township, while spending over Rs 331 crore on land acquisition.
According to an RTI report, the New Shillong Township Development Agency has received Rs 297.97 crore from the Urban Affairs department for the development of the township.
The report also revealed that the government collected Rs 83.07 crore in premiums from 38 departments to which land was allocated in NST. These departments include the CBI, the governments of Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh, the Tourism department for an Urban Park, SICPAC (now known as Lariti International Centre for Performing Arts and Culture), RBI, MPSC, GPO, Skills Park, and others.
The RTI further disclosed that the government has so far acquired 1,722.32 acres of land in the NST from various landowners over the years. Land was acquired from 11 landowners in 1995-1996, 5 landowners in 1997-1998, 7 landowners in 2003-2004, 7 landowners in 2006-2007, and 1 landowner in 2021-2022.
