SHILLONG:
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar on Thursday said the government was ready to discuss with the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) their request for modification of the blueprint, which seeks to relocate the 342 families of Harijan Colony from Them Iew Mawlong to the existing land of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB).
“They (HPC) can come to discuss if they are willing to accept our (Govt) proposal. If they want modification (of the blueprint), we will see whether they are feasible for the government,” Dhar told reporters.
The deputy chief minister, however, said if the modification sought by the HPC is not feasible then the government will not agree.
Dhar further informed that the HPC has not officially communicated the matter to the state government and said, “Therefore, we are yet to know what kind of modification they want. However, the government will wait for their proposal.”
On June 7, the Meghalaya High Court in its order had informed – “Learned Advocate-General reports that Counsel for the Harijan Panchayat Committee has agreed, in principle, to the blueprint prepared by the government but has made some suggestions for modification in certain areas.”
“Since the State is looking at the suggestions for modification, let the matter come up three weeks hence. It is hoped that the parties will now resolve the long pending issue and give a quietus to these matters,” the Court had stated.
The government had come up with a blueprint after rejecting the April 25,2022-proposal of the HPC that 200 square meters of land be provided to each of the 342 families within the European ward besides bearing the cost of construction of their homes.
On August 31, 2022, the state government announced its decision to construct housing flats on the 2.5 acres of land belonging to the SMB for relocation of the 342 families.
“Now we will demolish the old units and accordingly construct a flat system of 5 or 7 stories as per Meghalaya Development Urban Authority (MUDA) byelaws,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had then informed.
Earlier, the HPC had rejected the blueprint of the government.