Sweepers’ Colony issue: Meghalaya Govt to invite HPC for talks

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Oct 26: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong today informed that the State government will invite the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) next month for discussion on resolving the issue pertaining to the relocation of 342 families of Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong.

“We will have one more meeting with them (HPC). Unfortunately, Puja just came in so hopefully by next month we will be able to call them and sit once and for all and we will submit an affidavit to the court,” Tynsong told reporters.

On September 29, the Meghalaya government had informed the High Court that it has agreed to increase the individual plot sizes as requested by the residents of the Sweepers’ Colony.

With regards to the dilapidated condition of the roads, Tynsong, who is also in charge of PWD (Roads) said, “I have already instructed right from the commissioner & secretary, secretary and the chief engineers of the PWD to now since the dry and working season start be it any to make sure that the repairing and maintenance of road start at the earliest possible.”

On Byrnihat being categorized as the most polluted area in Meghalaya, the deputy chief minister said that he has asked the chief secretary to take up this matter with the Assam counterpart.

“In as far as Byrnihat is concerned, the left side while going to Guwahati is Meghalaya and the right side is Assam. I think you must have seen quite a number of factories all along the right side whereas from our left side we have only a designated industrial estate and we do also have factories but it is well monitored by the MSPCB. As far as Assam is concerned, I have asked the CS to take up this matter with the counterpart Assam to find out ways and means on how to monitor because we can’t go and monitor those factories in Assam which were functioning till now,” he said.

KSU wants BSF removed from Amlarem

The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has sought the intervention of the Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong for immediate removal of the BSF personnel from Amlarem village, which is far away from the international border with Bangladesh.

“We have requested the Deputy Chief Minister to ensure immediate removal of the BSF personnel, who are illegally present at Amlarem market,” KSU West Jaintia Hills District Unit president Laitphar Syngkrem told reporters after a meeting here today.

He alleged that the BSF has been harassing local people and seizing their goods and said, “We strongly condemned the action of the BSF by conducting illegal checking on local residents of Amlarem and adjoining areas.”

Stating BSF are supposed to be guarding the international border, Syngkrem however reminded that Amlarem is a village which is quite far away from the international border and that it is illegal for the BSF to conduct checking on local people.

The present of the BSF personnel at Amlarem has been for the past six months.

“Earlier, we had submitted a complaint before the deputy commissioner and SDO but no action has been taken in this regard. This has compelled us to take up the issue with the deputy chief minister for immediate action,” Syngkrem said.

When asked, the KSU WJHDU president said, “The deputy chief minister has directed the deputy commissioner to take necessary action on the matter.”

He however warned if the government fails to address the grievance of the people, the Union will have no other option but to take stern decision on the matter.

Further, Syngkrem alleged that local peole who are going for marketing in Dawki were made to obtain permission from the commandant of the BSF otherwise their goods will be seized and taken to the BSF camp.

“We also want to question the BSF for allowing illegal Bangladeshi to carry out illegal trade and businesses at Dawki market,” he said.

Meanwhile, the KSU WJHDU has also demanded the government to immediately repair the deplorable Jowai Bypass. Due to this, small vehicles can no longer the road and were force to enter Jowai town thereby causing huge traffic congestion.

Syngkrem informed that the deputy chief minister, who is also looking after PWD (Road), has assured to look into the matter at the earliest.