Meghalaya: Hima Mylliem admits issuing of land pattas in 4 places in Sweepers’ Lane
By Our Reporter, TNT News | Shillong, June 06 2018:
The Hima Mylliem has admitted that they had issued land pattas' in four places at the sweeper lane at Them Iew Mawlong.
"We have found out the Hima Mylliem had given the land pattas in four places on humanitarian ground in 2009," Acting Syiem (chieftain) of Hima Mylliem, Ricky Nelson Syiem said while talking to media persons here today.
According to the Syiem, the land patta was given for construction of the Gurudwara, Guru Nanak School, Shiv Mandir and Durga Mandir.
He further said that they had decided to withdraw the land pattas in 2010 following the opposition from several NGOs.
The Syiem of Hima Mylliem said that the Sikh population residing in the sweeper lane then approach the court to oppose the withdrawal of the land patta.
"After hearing the matter, the court then directed the Hima to conduct the hearing to hear the grievances of the Sikh population and then decide whether to withdraw the land pattas or not," Acting Syiem of Mylliem said.
According to him, the Hima in 2011 had issued the order to cancel the land pattas without holding the hearing as directed by the court.
"As per order issued by the Hima, the land pattas was cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances," Syiem said.
He, however, observed that the cancellation of the land patta should be on valid grounds.
Replying to a query, he said that the land pattas was issued when Latho Manik Syiem was the Syiem of Mylliem.
While divulging the history of the case, Syiem informed that after studying the documents, they found that there was an agreement signed between the Hima and Municipal in 1954 to hand the land at Them Iew Mawlong to the municipal for construction of the quarters for the sweepers working with the board and other Government departments.
Informing that the agreement which was signed are in two parts, he said that the first one is to allow the municipal to construct the quarters for the sweepers while the second part is the construction of the shopping complex.
He further informed that the total area of the first plot is around 10,000 sq. ft. while the total area of the second plot is 21,000 sq. ft.
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When asked whether the clan had claimed ownership over the said land or not, he said that the agreement which was signed in 1954 has no mention of any clan but agreement was signed only between the Hima and municipal board.
"As per the agreement, if the municipal does not utilize the land, it would ultimately revert back to the Hima. If the land is revert back, the Hima then can expand the Iewduh Market which is already very congested," Syiem added.
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