Make HLC report on Sweeper’s Colony public: Thma U Rangli-Juki asks government
TUR leader Angela Rangad alleged that the HLC did not take the views and opinions of a cross section of the society into consideration and that the committee is comprised of government members only without any representation of residents of the Colony
The Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) has demanded the state government to make public the report of the High-Level Committee (HLC) on the proposed move to relocate the residents of Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong.
“We demand that the government to put a stop to whatever decisions it has made regarding this issue and make the HLC report public,” TUR leader Angela Rangad said in a statement issued on October 13.
She alleged that the HLC did not take the views and opinions of a cross section of the society into consideration and that the committee is comprised of government members only without any representation of residents of the Colony.
“The government constituted the HLC within itself and gave the suggestions as well, which is not tenable. The government did not give representation to any resident of Punjabi Lane in the HLC, or even to the local MLA,” Rangad said, urging the government to include all stakeholders in the deliberations of any future plans of the area.
The TUR leader also raised questions on the timing of the report in view of the upcoming bye-elections to three constituencies of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on October 30.
The organisation also reiterated its demand that the area in question be redeveloped with basic amenities including water supply, sanitation, electricity, and residential housing for the Mazhabi Sikhs.
“This can be done easily since the land behind the area belongs to the Shillong Cantonment Board and the government can request the same to the Board. Additionally, the Mazhabi Sikhs should be granted security of tenure of residence,” it said.
Rangad also said that TUR had already submitted a plan to make use of the area, which includes a market for hawkers and street vendors, a dispensary, a creche, a bus and taxi terminal, a public godown, public toilets, along with proper residential units for the Mazhabi Sikhs.
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