SHILLONG: The state government has assured that the residents of the Harijan Colony will not be relocated without following the procedure.
The state government made this commitment before the High Court of Meghalaya when a contempt of court case was taken up against BS Sohliya, the CEO of Shillong Municipal Board and others by Harijan Panchayat Committee and others.
“It is once again reiterated that the state government is committed to resolve the issue in accordance with law and no one will be thrown out without following the procedure”, the government said during the hearing on June 28.
According to the petitioner, the government violated the direction of the court on February 15 this year.
The order was aimed at the government and all the other agencies not to disturb the petitioners in any manner and ‘if at all they want to evict or remove them, they are to approach the civil court and the civil court will pass a proper judgment after giving equal opportunity to both the parties and decide the title in accordance with law’.
The district administration was directed to arrange security to the petitioners and to maintain law and order.
It was claimed that despite the February 15 direction, the authorities were proceeding to ‘dispossess and disturb the possession of the petitioners’.
However, the state government said it was committed to resolve the issue in accordance with law and no one will be thrown out without following the procedure.
The government also submitted that the notice of the Shillong Municipal Board merely shows that the Board is collecting information and it has not violated the order of the court ‘even by the remotest stretch of mind’.
“It is completely misconceived, as even the notice says that the purpose of collecting information is to prepare a long term and short term policy for resolving long pending issue”, the government said, adding that the court has not stopped the government from collecting the information from all concerned as it is the prerogative of the government to collect the information for long term and short term policy”, the government said.
“The apprehension of the petitioner is completely baseless and is not borne out of the proceedings”, the government added.
In view of the affidavit-in-opposition filed by the respondents, the counsel for the petitioner said that the contempt petition may be disposed of.
However, in case the respondents take steps in violation of the February 15 order, liberty may be granted to the petitioners to approach the court again, the Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal said in his order.
Accordingly, the contempt petition was disposed of with a direction that in case the respondents violate any direction contained in the February 15 order, the petitioners can take recourse to the remedies as available to them in accordance with law.
Earlier, hearing a similar petition, the court said the residents of Harijan Colony area should cooperate in furnishing the requisite information to the state.
The Advocate General submitted that certain information is required from the occupants of the concerned area to establish their rights, if any. It was stated that inspite of various requests made to them, the requisite information has not been supplied.
The counsel for the respondents refuted the allegation.
However, the court directed that ‘the occupants of the concerned area shall cooperate in furnishing the requisite information to the state”.
The matter will come up for hearing on August 28.
