SHILLONG:
After much delay in divulging the details of the blueprint being prepared for the relocation of the 342 families of Harijan Colony from Them Iew Mawlong, the government, on July 13, informed the Meghalaya High Court that it will allot three acres of land for construction of housing flats.
It was informed while a petition, filed by the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) against the state government, was being heard in the court, on Wednesday.
In its order, the court said the administration has prepared a blueprint for allotment of three acres of land near the RP Chest Hospital for construction of a multi-storeyed building housing flats. “It is hoped that the matter receives a quietus upon the government proposal being found satisfactory by the applicant,” it said. The next hearing will be held on August 4.
Earlier on July 4, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had maintained that the blueprint will indicate the stand of the government on the HPC’s demands. He had informed that the blueprint once ready will be handed over to the HPC for consideration.
The deputy CM had also said that the blueprint of the government’s proposal for the relocation of the families of Harijan Colony will be completed soon, and that he had convened a meeting seeking the status of the blueprint on July 1 and had asked the concerned departments to complete it at the earliest.
On April 25, the HPC had agreed to be relocated from the Them Iew Mawlong on condition that the state government will provide 200 square meters of land to each of the 342 families within the European ward besides bearing the cost of construction of their homes.
However, there was stiff opposition from several NGOs against the HPC’s demands and they had even warned that “all hell will break loose” if the state government succumbs to such unacceptable demands.
In reply to the HPC’s demands, Tynsong, on April 27, had said that the matter of relocation of residents of Them Iew Mawlong could end up in court for a final verdict if the HPC demands more than the government can accommodate.