SHILLONG:
A few days after West Shillong legislator, Mohendro Rapsang and dorbar shnong of Mawbah expressed opposition to the government’s decision to relocate the 342 families of Harijan Colony to Mawbah, deputy Chief Minster Prestone Tynsong, on July 21, said that he has directed the Urban Affairs department to indicate two-three places in the proposed blueprint for the relocation.
“We have asked the urban affairs department to bring us the blueprint (that will indicate) not only one place but it should be two or three places,” said Tynsong.
Informing that he has asked the headman of Mawbah and the West Shillong legislator to be patient since no final decision has been taken in this regard, Tynsong said, “I cannot say anything right now since the blueprint is not in my hand. I understand and respect the sentiments of the local authority so the government will try its best to make all the parties happy.”
Earlier on July 14, Rapsang and dorbar shonng of Mawbah had opposed the government’s move to relocate 342 families of Harijan Colony from Them Iew Mawlong to a plot of land near the RP Chest Hopistal, saying the proposed plot is close to the hospital and it gets a lot of patients and the relocation will only congest the area and add to patients’ woes.
A day after, Tynsong, who is also chairman of the High Level Committee (HLC), had said the land near the RP Chest hospital is one of the areas identified for relocation but no final decision has been taken in this regard.
Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) leader, Gurjit Singh, on July 14, while quoting news reports, had said that, apart from the land at Mawbah, the government is also scouting for lands in two-three other locations for the relocation. “After the Urban Affairs department identify the land, they would come up with the proposal to the government,” Singh had said.
On April 25, the HPC had agreed to be relocated from the Them Iew Mawlong on the 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.
Tynsong further added that once the blueprint is ready, a meeting with the HPC will be convened again to sit down and discuss the issue across the table. “I am sure the solution will always be there,” he added.
With regards to the existing official quarters of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), Tynsong said that the SMB office is undertaking the repairing works of these units and once that is done, it will be the board’s prerogative to shift their employees, who are residing at Sweepers’ Colony, to the designated quarters.
Meanwhile, Tynsong maintained that relocation has to take place as there are no other options to that. “We are waiting for the blueprint and once the blueprint is on the table I will call the meeting of the HPC and we will sit down across the table and we will tell them these are the blueprint,” he reiterated.