By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: To ease the congestion in the city, Deputy Chief Minister, Bindo M Lanong has suggested that certain portions of the sprawling ten acre land of Raj Bhavan should be used for the benefit of the general public.
“If we can get even four to five feet of the land around the Raj Bhavan for road expansion it would help to ease the congestion in the city to a large extent,” Lanong said while speaking during the Round Table Discussion on Meghalaya Urban Infrastructure here on Wednesday.
While maintaining that the city which is already over congested cannot afford to waste such a huge acreage like the one in Raj Bhavan, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “We have to be pragmatic and practical and cannot attach too many emotions when taking decisions in the larger public interest.”
While recalling that earlier there used to be a ‘summer house’ of the Raj Bhavan near the Shillong peak, Lanong said that it is high time to shift the Government House to a better location.
Lanong also remarked that large tracts of prime land in and around Shillong are under the army and para military organisations and these stand in the way of the city development programmes. “The military authorities are reluctant to part with any land even if it is for the overall interest of the civil population,” he said.
While informing that he had an informal discussion with the GOC of 101 Area about handing over of the Garrison Ground to the Government in return for land elsewhere, Lanong said the Army Commander had a positive attitude towards his suggestion.
He, however, said that since the GOC is not the final authority on this matter the Government might have to actively pursue the matter with Delhi.
