SHILLONG: The Joint Special Committee, comprising of State Government officials and defence authorities, formed to expedite the process of handing over of defence land in the city to the Government, is expected to meet soon to iron out the differences that have cropped over the proposed deal between the two sides.
Sources from the Committee, on Sunday, said the Army authorities are willing to hand over the defence land to the Government provided that they are allotted equal value of the land by the State Government.
Records of the meeting of the Prime Minister’s Office with the Union Defense Secretary also reveals that Army authorities want the State Government to compensate in equal measure for the land that would be handed over to the civic authorities for the much-needed city de-congestion plans to take off.
The Army authorities have, however, denied receiving any intimation from the Prime Minister’s Office in this regard.
Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the defence establishment wants the Government to hand over land in Ri Bhoi district in lieu of the 0.339 square kilometers of land in the city that is proposed to be handed over for the de-congestion plans.
Once the deal is ready, construction of flyovers would begin which is expected to ease the frequent traffic snarls that has become the order of the day
