Shillong Sweepers’ Colony relocation: HYC says only 194 families must be relocated

Ahead of the meeting called by the Meghalaya government with the Harijan Panchayat Committee on May 7, pressure group, the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) in a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has said that only 194 families should be relocated.

Citing RTI filings, the HYC said that the remaining 148 families were not employees of the Shillong Municipal Board therefore they should not be relocated or given land or house by the government under its relocation plan.

HYC president Roykuparn Synrem said, “We will not allow the government to give land or to give houses to the 148 families who are neither government employees nor families of the government employees. We are not against giving quarters or dwelling units to the government employees (the 194 families). But then even giving one house or 1 dwelling unit to those persons who does not work under the government, the HYC will not allow that.”

Synrem said, “He (Dy CM Prestone Tynsong) has assured us that in a day or two, he will be calling a meeting to ask for clarification, whether the affidavits filed by the SMB or stand taken by the government for the last 5-6 years, that 342 families are workers of the government, whether it is right or wrong. He has assured us that a meeting will be called and he will give us a clarification.”

Sharing details of what transpired in the meeting between the HYC and the Deputy Chief Minister, Roykupar Synrem said, “Those who are staying at Them Iew Mawlong, have been appointed (as govt employees) since the days of their father, grandfather. Most of them have been appointed on compassionate grounds, no advertisements were issued. Even in 2017 and 2020 some of them have been appointed without an advertisement. So we have raised an objection with the state government that this cannot happen because our people also can do the same work that they are doing.

If the government keep on appointing these people, like if a father has died, his son will be appointed so on and so forth and our people will not get a chance to work under the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB). We have raised that point also.”

On August 31, 2022, the state government had decided to relocate 342 families from Harijan Colony to the existing quarters of the Shillong Municipal Board office on Bishop Cotton Road. The department was asked to prepare a blueprint to facilitate the relocation.