Harijan Colony relocation issue: Meghalaya govt seeks Harijan Panchayat Committee’s reply to govt’s blueprint by April 10

If the demands of the Harijan Panchayat are genuine, the govt would accept or else the discussions would continue, the Urban Affairs Minister said

Meghalaya Urban Affairs Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Thursday informed that the government has sought the response of the Harijan Panchayat Committee to the blueprint prepared by the government for the relocation of the Harijan Colony in Shillong before April 10.
Briefing newpsersons on the issue, Minister Dhar said, “Regarding the blueprint, we have already submitted it to them (Harijan Panchayat Committee). They sought 3 months time to respond. In the meeting yesterday it was decided to give them time till April 10 to respond. Let them reply, we will take a call after that.”
The Minister further said that the government would stick to its stand. “If their demand is genuine, government will be okay with that and if the demand is not genuine, we will keep discussing. We will try to solve at the earliest possible.”
He also informed that the government constituted High-Level Committee (HLC)’s meeting will take place after the HPC submits it’s reply.
“I think chairman of the High Level Committee will call a meeting and we will discuss thereafter. The date for the HLC meeting will be fixed only once the reply comes from the HPC,” said the Meghalaya Urban Affairs minister.
It may be mentioned that the HLC was formed to find a feasible solution to the long pending issue of relocating the Harijan Colony.
Worth mentioning, the state government on September 29 last year had made a presentation of the blueprint indicating the detailed drawings and designs of the proposed buildings to be constructed for accommodating the 342 families of Harijan Colony before the was also made before the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC).
The government had also decided to hand over the blueprint – for construction of multi-storey flats at the existing official quarters of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB)- to the HPC.
On October 21, the Meghalaya High Court had asked the HPC to respond to the proposal of the state government within four weeks’ time.
The HPC in April last year had demanded that 200 square meters of land be provided to each of the 342 families which was out-rightly rejected by the state government.

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