SHILLONG, April 25: The state government, determined to relocate the residents of Harijan Colony, has referred the matter to a legal expert.
“The government accepted the recommendation made by the committee under my chairmanship and the cabinet said relocation has to take place,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Tuesday.
He made it crystal clear that the state government is determined to relocate the 342 families from Them Iew Mawlong.
On May 20, the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) rejected the relocation proposal (blueprint) of the government, terming it “incomplete, unsuitable, unprepared, unfair and undemocratic”.
HPC secretary, Gurjit Singh said the state government did not indicate the area where it is proposing to construct a seven-storied building for the relocation.
He said the state government did not disclose any details of the relocation and showed the design of the building.
“We are not satisfied with the blueprint. We would want to have some clarity since it looks like the government wants to just dump us, which is not acceptable at all,” Singh said.
The HPC is awaiting an invitation from the state government to hold a discussion on the matter.
“We have referred that (relocation plan) to a legal expert to study. Once done, I will take a call on that,” Tynsong said.
Giving his opinion on the contentious issue, senior advocate, VGK Kynta suggested a civil suit in the court as the only way of evicting the Harijan Colony residents.
Speaking to reporters, he recalled the single bench headed by Justice (retd) SR Sen underlining the civil suit route. The High Court of Meghalaya asked both parties to approach the civil court to resolve the matter while disposing of the HPC’s petition against the High-Level Committee set up by the government to settle the dispute at Them Iew Mawlong.
The court also directed the government and all other agencies not to disturb the petitioners in any manner.
“If at all, they (the state government) 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 the law,” Justice Sen stated in the judgment.
According to Kynta, it will not be easy to evict the Harijan Colony residents.
He observed that a person who has physical possession of a property has an advantage or is in a better position as compared to the person who has no possession over the property.
“It is also not easy for the government to identify who are the illegal and legal settlers,” the senior advocate said.
