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).

ALSO READ: PHE trying to address water crisis in Meghalaya, says PHE Minister

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.