Meghalaya govt to start discussions with Punjabi Lane residents on relocation

The Meghalaya government’s decision to hold discussion with the Punjabi Lane residents has come after the high court asked the government and the residents to settle the matter.

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government has decided to invite the residents of the state capital Shillong’s Punjabi Lane area, which hit the headlines following group clashes in 2018, for a discussion next week on the relocation of the “illegal settlers” of the locality, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said on Tuesday.

Punjabi Lane, locally known as Them Iew Mawlong, was inhabited by people from Punjab, who were brought to Shillong by the British to engage them in sanitary works. (File Photo)

Punjabi Lane, locally known as Them Iew Mawlong, was inhabited by people from Punjab, who were brought to Shillong by the British to engage them in sanitary works. In October last year, the Meghalaya government took over the land of Punjabi Lane locality and decided that “illegal settlers” would be relocated from there. The decision was taken based on a recommendation by a high-level committee (HLC), which was constituted by the state government to find a feasible solution for the relocation of the Sweeper’s Colony from Them Iew Mawlong following the 2018 violent protest at Motphran. However, the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC), an organisation working for welfare of the residents of the area, claimed that the government’s move was “illegal” and filed a petition in the high court.

The state’s decision to hold discussion with the Punjabi Lane residents has come after the high court asked the government and the HPC to settle the matter.

“Most likely next week we will invite them (HPC) for talks on the issue,” deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong, who headed the HLC, told journalists on Tuesday. He also lauded the HPC for filing the petition in the high court, saying that it indicated their keenness to sit down and discuss with the government.

“They have also in their application pleaded through the Meghalaya high court that the government should provide a place for relocation but right now I will not be able to tell you in detail,” he added.

His statement came after HPC expressed that it is waiting for the state government to invite them for discussion on an alternative site for relocation of the residents from Punjabi Lane.

Asked about the government’s thoughts on the alternative site, Tynsong said, “From day one itself when we have that High Level Committee, the terms and reference of that committee itself is relocation. The moment you mention relocation, it means the government has to also provide a place for the shifting of that population we have as of today. As I told you, I will not be able to tell you all the details, let us meet first and once the meeting is over, we will understand where and how we go about it.”

In its order passed on March 9 while hearing a petition of the HPC, the division bench of the Meghalaya high court comprising chief justice Sanjib Banerjee and justice W Diengdoh said, “Since the private appellant submits that it is seeking to negotiate an alternative site for relocation and the matter is under consideration of the State, both the private appellant’s appeal and the State’s appeal should be adjourned to allow an attempt at settlement.”

Based on the recommendations of the HLC submitted on September 28, last year, the Meghalaya government had on October 29, taken over the land at Iew Mawlong after releasing a premium of ₹2 crore to the Syiem of Hima Mylliem, in its bid to relocate the Sweeper’s Colony.

The three main recommendations of the High-Level Committee include taking ownership of the land at Them Iew Mawlong, shifting of the employees of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), other departments and relocation of “illegal settlers”.

But, the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) outrightly rejected the HLC report and vowed to stop all “illegal acts” of the government.

According to the inventory report submitted by SMB, a total of 184 employees and their families have been identified as legal settlers. These include the families of 128 employees of SMB and 56 others who are working in different government departments.

Meanwhile, SMB has shifted its office to a temporary building to pave way for renovating its official staff quarters in order to accommodate its employees, who are presently residing at Sweeper’s Colony.