KHADC, KAAC to work together for peace
Staff Reporter
Shillong, Sept 14: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) today unanimously decided to work together to maintain peace and harmony in areas under the disputed Block II.
The decision was taken at a joint meeting held between the KHADC chief Pyniaid Sing Syiem and KAAC chief Dr Tuliram Ronghang in the presence of Karbi Anglong MP Horen Singh Bey.
The meeting was also attended by the executive members from both the autonomous councils.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Syiem said that the KHADC and KAAC have decided to work together to maintain peace and harmony among the two communities residing on the border.
Syiem has also expressed concern over the alleged harassment against Khasi-Pnar people residing in the Block II areas.
“Since yesterday, I have already appraised the KAAC chief on the matter and requested his intervention to ensure Khasi-Pnar people do not face any kind of harassment especially when the two State governments are in the process of settling the boundary dispute,” he said.
On the demand to retransfer the Block II areas to Meghalaya, the KHADC chief, however, said that discussion by the two State governments on the matter is on.
“Therefore, the two district councils have decided to work together. We will listen to the voice of the people from both communities before giving our suggestion to the regional committees of both States,” he said.
Meanwhile, Syiem informed that both district councils have decided to work together to preserve and promote the rich culture and heritage of the two communities.
Court to decide on relocation from Sweepers’ Colony
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar has informed that the state government has filed an affidavit before the Meghalaya High Court with regards to the proposal for relocating the 342 families of Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong.
Dhar told reporters today that now the matter is left to the court to decide.
The minister said that the government will also sit in a few days and take a call on the matter.
According to him, this was after the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) had rejected the government’s proposal to relocate the Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong to the existing land of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB).
Dhar however said that the government will always welcome the HPC if they want to discuss the matter.
On April 24, the Meghalaya High Court had deferred the hearing on the issue to June 7.
The order was passed by the division bench based on the request made by the state government and the HPC during the hearing held here.
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.
In its recent 6-page reply sent to the Deputy Secretary of the Government of Meghalaya and other concerned departments, the HPC had alleged that the government’s proposal was “incomplete, unsuitable, unprepared, unfair and undemocratic.”
The HPC had also stated in its reply that “There are serious lacunae, sweeping and undesirable conclusions in the approach and attitude of the High-Level Committee of the Meghalaya government.”
“We are absolutely devastated that since the formation of the new government, ministers, MLAs and certain groups have been making unnecessary remarks saying that the whole issue would be resolved within the month of April. What magical trick do they have up their sleeve to resolve the issue within days? The matter is sub-judice and they are only paying lip service to respect for the judiciary. We will not buckle under political duress,” it had also added.