Harijan Colony Issue: Meghalaya Govt to meet HPC on relocation from Sweepers’ Colony

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 21: The state government has decided to soon invite the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) for discussion on the proposal to relocate the 342 families of Sweeper’s Colony from Them Iew Mawlong to the existing land of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB).

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This came a day after the HPC had submitted its reply on the Meghalaya government’s blueprint and alleged that the proposal of the government was “incomplete, unsuitable, unprepared, unfair and undemocratic.”

A meeting was also convened by the deputy chief minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong in presence of deputy chief minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar with officials of the government to discuss the issue here today.

“First of all we have to study the reply (submitted by the HPC) and see what they have stated and based on that we will call a meeting,” Dhar told reporters while informing that likely the government will invite the HPC for discussion next week.

He said the meeting convened by Tynsong, who is also chairman of the high level committee (HLC), has discussed how to move forward on the matter.

On the HPC’s decision to stick with their original demand, Dhar however said, “They (HPC) have the right to demand whatever they want and as a government we will examine it whether it is feasible or not. That is the reason why negotiation and discussion is still going on.”

“We will see after discussion we will see what the next course of action is. It is not appropriate for me to tell on the next course of action,” he added.

Reiterating that negotiation is still on with the HPC, the deputy chief minister said, “Hopefully, there is a positive result between the government and them and (the matter) will end peacefully. We want them to work with the government.”

In a statement issued yesterday, HPC secretary Gurjit Singh had reiterated that, “our original demands presented in the “Eight-point resolution” still stand and we will not buckle under political duress merely because it is convenient for the government to do so and simply because due to passage of time, the land has become a commercial goldmine.”

On September 29, last year the state government had presented the blueprint to the HPC during a meeting, which indicated its decision to construct multi-storey flats at the existing official quarters of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) for relocation of the 342 families.

The state government had completely rejected 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.

The Harijan Panchayat Committee which, despite all odds, has been spearheading a battle for rights of the residents since the last three decades, has in its detailed reply to the government said that the disputed land belongs to the Syiem of Mylliem, and not to the government and any attempt by the government to buy it is in violation of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act.

Meghalaya Govt notifies Rapthap as Member Secretary of State Education Commission

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 18: The Commissioner & Secretary in charge of Education informed that the state government has notified R Rapthap, Secretary in-charge education department as a Member Secretary of the State Education Commission.

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On November 9, last year, the state Cabinet approved the constitution of the Meghalaya State Education Commission (MSEC) for coming up with concrete solutions and strategic recommendations for ushering reforms in the education system of the state.

The four-member MSEC has been asked to come up with a solution to address the presence of too many categories of schools in Meghalaya.

The MSEC will comprise a chairperson, two advisers and one secretary.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, “It is important to note that this is one of the points that we have been talking about for a very long time and we strongly feel that we need to ensure that a full-fledged commission that works and looks into all aspects of education is there.”

He had said “The mandate of the MSEC is to advise the government of Meghalaya on matters relating to schools and colleges, their institutional structures, their salary structures, their overall school and college management functioning and accountability and to produce a concrete solution and strategic recommendations for ushering reforms in the education system for the perspective of NEP 2020 and also the state education policy and fulfilling its various principles and articulations.”

Meghalaya Govt to invite HPC for talks on Them Iew Mawlong issue

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 12: Meghalaya government has decided to invite the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) after the Assembly’s Budget session for discussion on the issue of relocating the residents of Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong.

“We will invite them after the Assembly’s session and try to resolve the issue,” Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar said over phone.

Dhar said that he would also discuss the issue with the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong before inviting the HPC for talks.

On February 16, the Meghalaya High Court has asked the state government to immediately resolve the issue after the Assembly elections.

“The State should make every endeavour, immediately after the election, to resolve the matter since it has been represented on behalf of the State on previous occasions that several parcels of land had been identified for the resettlement of the members of the first respondent body,” the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee had said in its order.

The bench had said that the matter has been adjourned for a considerable period of time on the joint representation of the parties that an amicable settlement will be arrived at. The next hearing on the matter will be held on March 17.

Elections to the 59 out of 60 Assembly seats concluded recently.