Over relocation draft Harijan Panchayat Comm shows distress

Shillong: Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) Secretary Gurjit Singh has once again expressed his disappointment over the Meghalaya government’s failure to include any of their demands in the draft for the relocation of residents from Harijan Colony in Shillong.

Singh accused the state government of pressurizing the committee to accept the relocation draft prepared by the CM Conrad Sangma-led government.
The Harijan Panchayat Committee on Thursday sent a reply to the Meghalaya government on the draft for relocation of residents of Punjabi Lane, Shillong. The committee, after several rounds of consultation with its members, said the government’s proposal was incomplete, inadequate, unprepared, unfair and undemocratic.
“It is up to the government to end the impasse by calling the HPC for talks. The case is still pending in court and has been going on for a year now,” Singh told.

Asked about the blueprint, Singh said there was only a design for the building without any basic amenities. “The way the government has made statements has put us in a bad light. It will make people think that we are not cooperating,” he added.
“The government is saying that the settlement will be done by April and the relocation will be completed in May. This is not possible,” Singh said.

He also asked that the residents living in Sweepers Colony should be given time to shift to the new place.
“The site already has 484 units as mentioned by the government. So the occupants will have to be given time to shift and then the building will be demolished. After that the final blueprint will come out which will After that funds will be sanctioned. All these works will take time and it is not a matter of a day,” said Singh.

Earlier, the HPC had sent a complete 6-page reply to the Deputy Secretary, Meghalaya Government and other concerned departments.
“There are serious flaws in the approach and attitude of the High Level Committee of the Meghalaya Government, with major and undesirable consequences,” the HPC letter read.
“We are totally devastated and since the formation of the new government, ministers, MLAs and some groups have been making unnecessary remarks saying that the whole issue will be resolved in the month of April. What do they have? Is there a magic trick by which they can solve the problem in a few days? The matter is under hearing and they are just paying lip service. We will not bow to political pressure,” Singh said.
“We have attended the government meetings with good intentions but the government is resorting to misinformation and misinformation through the media and the only attitude in the meetings is to force us to accept their proposal. Political leadership ‘s language is intimidating. They are endangering our lives and property and making us vulnerable,” the HPC secretary said.
The HPC has strongly alleged that the whole exercise is a theory of transfer on a false basis, which in effect would make the residents of Punjabi Lane (Harijan Colony) relinquish their rights and interests over whatever small portion of land in the colony they may have. forces and compels prison cells to accept. Accommodation is being offered in the proposed blueprint.
The Harijan Panchayat Committee, which has been fighting for the rights of the residents for the past three decades against all odds, has said in its detailed reply to the government that the disputed land belongs to Mylliem’s Syiem and not to the government and to purchase it by the government. Any attempt is a violation of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act.
Referring to the recent incident of May 31, 2018, the HPC has said that taking advantage of a stray case of disagreement, the “ideology of devolution” has suddenly resurfaced for political and personal interests. We have all the official documents required to live as citizens in our native land in Punjabi Lane.
Appealing to the government and people of Meghalaya, Gurjit Singh said, “The government should stop the witch hunt and allow us to build our houses. We can be sure that the beauty of the area is fully preserved. Ga and for this the residents have the full support of the Sikh community.
The inhabitants of Punjabi Lane want to live in the land of their ancestors with honor and dignity and it would not be fair to treat them as foreigners. The solution should be peaceful, friendly, mutual and permanent without violating our fundamental rights.