SHILLONG:
NPP legislator from Mawryngkneng Pyniaid Sing Syiem on Thursday urged Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, to take up with the Centre the issue of shifting of the gate erected by the 58 Gorkha Training Centre (GTC) to a new location in order to address the problems faced by the over 4,000 residents of Mawshbuit village.
The decision to seek the chief minister’s intervention came after the Defence Estate Officer of GTC and the 101 Area had submitted their respective reports to the Ministry of Defence expressing that it is not advisable to shift the gate for security reasons.
“We have decided to request the chief minister to take up the matter with the Union Defence Minister to ensure the GTC gate is removed from the PWD road (leading to Mawshbuit village),” Syiem told reporters.
Syiem also met cabinet minister Sanbor Shullai to discuss the development and also held a meeting with the Dorbar Shnong of Mawshbuit village. “We have decided to also call a joint meeting after the assembly Budget Session to discuss the issue,” he said.
The MLA also expressed hope that they will be able to resolve the issue at the earliest even as he sought the support and cooperation of the dorbar shnong and the NGOs.
On September 23, last year, Shullai had informed that the meeting held with the DEO of GTC had unanimously decided to shift the gate a little further to ensure there is no harassment to the people passing through it.
Shullai on Thursday informed that the gate will be shifted to a new location in order to address the problems faced by the residents of Mawshbuit village.
Shullai had also informed that the expenditure for shifting the gate to the army land will be borne by the state government.
When asked, Syiem said that he along with Shullai had also met the Union Minister of State Ajay Bhatt in New Delhi for his intervention. “The MoS had also written to the Army for taking necessary action on the request,” he said.
He further said that if the gate is not shifted, they may be compelled to decide other course of action.
Stating that the gate was in fact set up way back in 1983 without the consent of the PWD and district administration, the MLA said there are records relating to work orders being issued by the department for repairing the kutcha road from Happy Valley to Mawshubuit.
Meanwhile, Syiem informed that the water supply scheme sanctioned by the NEC at Rs 6 crore will be completed within two months.
“I have also informed the dorbar shnong of Mawshbuit that Rs 2.88 crore was also sanctioned for providing water supply to all 664 households in the village,” he said.
He further informed that Rs 1.80 crore was also estimated for repairing the road to Mawshbuit which is famous for its tourist spots including a waterfall and a museum.